Anastasia, Pop Princess
by StrawberryPajamas
Summary: She's a singer, model, Esquire's Sexiest Woman Alive, and a staple of the American pop music scene - Anastasia has the life most girls only dream of. But experience with fame has taught her to be closed off to real love. This fact holds true, until one day a security mishap leads her to hire on a new CPO named Christian. Suddenly, everything changes - for her, and for him. HEA
1. The Incident

**A/N: Welcome to my new story everyone! This is something I've wanted to write for a long time now - it's loosely based off of the romantic movies _The Bodyguard_ and **_**Beyond the Lights**_ **, which, if you haven't seen yet, I very highly recommend. Hope you all enjoy!**

 **Summary: She's a singer, model, Esquire's Sexiest Woman Alive, and a staple of the American pop music scene - Anastasia has the life most girls only dream of. But experience with fame has taught her to be closed off to real love. This fact holds true, until one day a security mishap leads her to hire on a new CPO named Christian. Suddenly, everything changes - for her, and for him.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Anastasia, Pop Princess**

 **By Strawberry Pajamas**

 **Chapter 1: The Incident**

He had a vision.

A snow-driven forest with bare, lifeless trees, the dead branches stretching overhead and up toward the gray-tinted sky, where white flakes would fall gently onto the pristine ground. There she would stand, in the center of this barren land, her gossamer lace dress the color of ice covering every inch of her pale, delicate body. Her ghostly skin would be sharply contrasted by her long dark hair, smokey eyes and bright red lips as she gazed up toward the heavens with unseeing eyes - conveying both the endlessness of time and the certainty of death. A tawny owl would sit perched on her shoulder, silent and sentinel as it gazed into the distance along with her, while a dark gray wolf would approach stealthily from behind, stalking its prey.

A certain beauty and regalness came with this somber image of approaching and welcoming death.

And in the lower right-hand corner would be the new _Ètouffant_ Dior perfume logo. This image would be the face of their new campaign, and it was going to look absolutely stunning in next month's issue of _People_.

"…Everyone, she's going to be here within the hour. Let's move!" Gregor, the director yelled as set hands rushed back and forth across the room, hurrying to get everything ready. The small stage in the center of the room was designed to his exact specifications, right down to the fake snowflakes falling down from the ice machine behind the set, and the lifelike taxidermied wolf place strategically in the background of the fake forest.

"Steven, is the owl ready?" Gregor asked, tapping something on his iPad.

"Right here, boss," one of the sethands wheeled in a cage that had a large tawny owl inside, blinking as it gazed at its surroundings while fluffing its feathers.

"Perfect," Gregor said brightly, placing a hand over his heart. "This is going to look _gorgeous_. We'll get the bird out of that cage once she's here and in costume."

"Have you met her in person yet, Gregor?" The photographer Beth asked, fiddling with the strap of her camera. "I've heard it's pretty tough to book her."

"Are you kidding? Booking that girl is harder than booking God himself," Gregor stated, and Beth chuckled. "But somehow we managed to get her for three hours today, which is why everything's going be absolutely perfect once she arrives."

"Don't get your hopes up, Greg," Derrick, the lighting guy, said as he moved the ring light closer to the trees. "Girls like her tend to be real divas. She's probably going to be like three hours late and demand a million things once she's here."

"Oh God, do you think?" Beth asked worriedly.

"Sir?" one of the security guards suddenly approached Gregor. "There's a situation outside near the front entrance. Some fans found out what's going on in here and they've gathered in front of the doors. We've had to lock them so no one can get in or out."

"Damn," Gregor muttered to himself. "What about the back entrance?"

"It's clear, as far as I can tell. It's generally used for deliveries, but we could probably sneak her in that way if we're careful."

"If that's the best we can do, then we'll do it," Gregor said firmly. "Do you know how many people are outside at the moment?"

"It looks to be about twenty," the security guard said. "You can go and see for yourself."

Gregor walked over to the front of the studio, where there was a wide hallway leading to two glass front doors about ten yards away. Outside the doors there was what looked like a small mob of teenage girls, all of them cheering and jumping around excitedly; a few of them were even holding up signs. Gregor felt his stomach sink - he had hoped this shoot could have gone off without a hitch, but he supposed that was too much to ask for.

"Lord help me," he mumbled to himself, shaking his head as he moved back toward the set. He walked over to the security guard who had approached him. "You - what's your name?"

"Christian," he responded.

"Christian, can we get security at the front entrance please?"

"On it," he said, and he walked over to a couple security guards standing nearby and ordered them to stand by the front doors.

"Greg, they're here," Gregor's assistant Leanne rushed up to him, her phone in her hand. "Her assistant texted me and told me they're about to pull up."

"Tell them to come through the back of the building, by the delivery door," Gregor said, and Leanne typed out a response on her phone.

Gregor quickly smoothed out any flyaway hairs on his titanium blonde crew cut and straightened out his Hugo Boss cashmere long-sleeved shirt before turning to the rest of the crew. "Everyone!" he shouted, clapping his hands, and the sethands all stopped to look at him. "She's here!"

In a moment, everyone began talking feverishly with one another as they quickly finished up whatever job they were doing. A noticeable shift had happened throughout the entire room - a palpable excitement as everyone prepared themselves to meet the woman of the hour. They were all there in a professional capacity, obviously, but no one could deny how exciting it was to meet someone as famous as her.

For about ten minutes nothing happened, but pretty soon one of the lighting technicians walked out of the back hallway and gestured for someone to walk in front of him… and there she was.

The world-famous pop singer herself Anastasia Steele walked onto their set, flanked by two other professional-looking women texting on their BlackBerries. Anastasia was looking comfortably chic in a cropped off-the-shoulder gray sweater, high-waisted skinny jeans, and strappy heels. She was carrying a Starbucks cup in her hand while a large pair of sunglasses sat perched on her head, pushing her mane of long dark brown hair away from her face. A noticeable hush fell over the people in the room as they watched her walk in, but a few of the women near the back could hardly contain their excited squeals when they saw her - Anastasia looked over at the girls and gave them a wave and a smile, causing them to break out into giggles once again.

"Hello. Are you Gregor?" Anastasia walked up to Gregor with a bright smile on her beautiful face. Gregor took her outstretched hand in his own before leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek in greeting.

"Yes, that's me. It's an honor to meet you, Anastasia," he gushed, and Anastasia smiled widely at him. "I can't even begin to tell you how excited we all are to do this photoshoot today."

"The pleasure's all mine," Anastasia insisted sincerely. "Just looking at the drawings you made for this photoshoot made me completely fall in love!"

"Oh thank you - that means so much to me," Gregor said sincerely, putting a hand over his heart. "Our designers and make-up artists have been slaving all week to make sure everything is absolutely perfect for you today."

"Wonderful."

"- Sorry to interrupt, but how long do you think this is going to take?" one of the women standing next to Anastasia asked Gregor. "We have to be in Culver City by five for a networking party. Also, I'm going to need to talk to whoever's in charge of craft services... Anastasia has to have sparkling water with her at all times, preferably flavored."

"Mom, relax," Anastasia said to the woman placatingly. "This is just a photoshoot, not a concert. Everything is fine as it is." She turned back to Gregor. "So where do you need me?"

"Just over here, Ms. Steele," Gregor gestured to a room off to the side of the set. "That's where your hair and makeup will be done by Jen, and after that you'll be put into costume in the next room over. As for craft services, snacks can be found over there, including sparkling water. Please, feel free to help yourselves."

Anastasia walked with Gregor toward the makeup room while her mother and the other woman made their way over to the craft table, talking with one another. For a moment or two nothing happened, until suddenly an incredibly audible clunking sound came from the back hallway.

Everyone on set stopped and looked curiously toward the door leading to the back hallway, wondering what on Earth had made that sound.

Suddenly, the back doors burst open and a gaggle of teenage girls came barreling in, practically knocking over a couple sethands in the process. One the girls spotted Anastasia standing a few yards away, and she let out an excited scream, jumping up and down.

" _Oh my gawd! Anastasia I LOVE YOUUUU!_ "

All the girls began to rush over to Anastasia in a group, and people scrambled to get out of their way so they wouldn't get trampled on. The girls were a second away from reaching Anastasia, clearly about to bowl her over in their excitement, when a man suddenly ran in front of her and blocked the girls from reaching her. They all stumbled to a stop when they knocked into him.

" _Anastasia_!" the girls tried to push past him to reach their idol, but he stood firm, holding his arms out to the sides and blocking them from getting any closer to her.

"Enough!" Gregor snapped, glaring at the girls before pointing to the door. "All of you, get off my set! You are causing a disruption! Call security!"

The next few moments were a whirlwind of activity as security guards rushed forward and dragged the teenage girls off the set, most of them sobbing and crying for Anastasia to notice them. Anastasia didn't say anything, but she managed to peek around the man's shoulder and give the girls a tremulous wave and a smile before they were taken away.

"Oh my God Ana, are you alright?" her mother rushed forward and pushed past the man to hug her daughter. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"I'm fine Mom, I promise," Anastasia assured her mother, hugging her back. She turned to look at the man who had protected her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said.

"Yes, thank you Christian," Gregor nodded distractedly, looking utterly distressed about what occurred. "Anastasia, I can't tell you how sorry I am this happened. Christian here had warned me there were some fans of yours congregating outside, and I thought we could subvert them by bringing you through the back door, but it appears as if they snuck in through the back too. I am so deeply sorry you had to go through this on my set…"

"Please, Gregor, don't worry about it," Anastasia reassured him. "It's not that big of a deal. I promise, I'm more used to this than you'd think."

"Can we please just get on with this photoshoot now that the chaos is over?" Anastasia's mother asked, still looking upset that this had happened. "We don't have all day."

"Yes, of course - right this way," Gregor said quickly, ushering them toward the makeup room. Before Anastasia was led away, however, she stopped and turned back toward the security guard.

"Your name's Christian, right?" she asked him.

"Yes ma'am. Christian Grey," Christian responded, folding his hands in front of him in a professional stance.

"And you're a security guard for this building?"

"No ma'am. Gregor hired my company to provide security for your photoshoot today," Christian explained. "We're a private business."

Ana nodded. "And what's your company called?"

"Taylor-Jones Security LLC," Christian said, pulling out a business card from his front breast pocket and handing it to her.

"Right," Anastasia nodded, taking the card and gazing down at it before looking back up at him. "Thank you again for protecting me, Christian. Your employer will be hearing from my people sometime tomorrow."

Christian blinked, a bit taken aback. "Ms. Steele, if you're upset about what just happened, you can take it up with me right now and I'll have a word with my employers…"

"I'm not upset," Anastasia reassured him. "Quite the opposite, actually - I'm looking to hire on some new private security. Your company does CPO work, I presume?"

"Um… yes ma'am," Christian said, a bit bemused.

"Great," Anastasia nodded, turning to walk away. "You'll get a call from my people tomorrow."

She then followed Gregor into the makeup room, a couple other people trailing behind them. Christian was left to simply stand there, still in shock of what had just happened.

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 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed my first chapter! If you did, please review :)**

 **I have a new Pinterest board for this story! Be sure to follow it at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	2. A New Job

**A/N: Thank you all for your love and support! Enjoy this next chapter :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: A New Job**

 **~5 days later~**

 _ **The Princess of American Music - Anastasia "Steeles" the Show and Our Hearts**_

 _Anastasia Steele, 24, has been the unopposed Princess of the pop music scene for the past five years, cementing her place in our culture with her signature musical mix of EDM, R &B, and alternative rock. With hits like "Love By the Books" and "Maybe It's Me", Anastasia has brought her sexy appeal, beautiful voice, and unequivocal charm to the hearts and minds of listeners everywhere._

Underneath this description was a picture of Anastasia with heavily made-up eyes looking at the camera in a sultry gaze, her long wavy brown hair blowing back slightly as if she were standing in a breeze. Her skimpy black negligee and skirt showed off her thin, gorgeous body and long legs - the very picture of sex appeal and femininity.

"God damn," Theo, Christian's coworker and friend, whistled as he gazed at the _Cosmo_ spread of Anastasia. "You're gonna be following her around all day, Chris? You're one lucky son-of-a-bitch."

"I don't know if I've even gotten the job yet, Theo," Christian stood at the counter and poured himself a cup of coffee before making his way back over to the table. The two of them were currently hanging out in the break room at T-J Security, paging through some magazines they found that featured Anastasia.

"Seriously? You and Taylor have been talking to her people practically all week. I thought you pretty much got this job in the bag."

"I've been a part of the conference calls, but that's about it," Christian stated. "It's not official yet, but I'm actually going to Anastasia's house with Taylor this afternoon to get a feel of the place."

"That's awesome man, I think you've really got this one. You've been a CPO before, so this gig should be a breeze for you," Theo said confidently, continuing to page through the magazine. He had been very excited when he heard about this job: he knew it would bring in a lot of money and exposure for Taylor-Jones Security, which he had been working at for years before Christian. Theo was a bald, muscle-y black man who had been in the Marines for most of his adult life, but deep down he was a very kind and gentle soul, and Christian knew he sincerely enjoyed his work as a security guard.

"Hey, look at this," Christian picked up an open magazine with an article about Anastasia. He chuckled. "Her fans actually call themselves 'Fanastasias'. How about that?"

Theo laughed. "'Fanastasias'? That's actually kinda cute."

"I basically had to fight off a whole horde of 'Fanastasias' at that photo shoot last week - so yeah, really cute," Christian said humorlessly, setting the magazine down. "This job seems like it'll be a lot to deal with, especially since Anastasia's fanbase of teenage girls seems so fucking crazy. I'm not really sure if I'm up to doing it."

"You'll be fine," Theo said encouragingly. "These 24-hour gigs can be a bit draining, I know, but it'll also be an amazing experience for you. You'll get to travel to cool places, meet interesting people, and live like a goddamn king in her multi-million dollar mansion. It'll be great!"

Christian let out a sigh before nodding. "Okay, I guess I could give it a shot. I suppose this is worth sacrificing my social life for."

He said that last part sarcastically, but Theo laughed anyway - he knew Christian hadn't really had much of a social life for the past year or so. His ex-girlfriend, Susannah, had pretty much stomped out any desire he had to pursue a relationship with anyone, and ever since they broke up he threw all his focus into his work. Dating just didn't really interest him at the moment, and he was mostly fine with that. He didn't feel like he was sacrificing much if he agreed to do this CPO gig.

The door to the break room opened and Taylor walked in, wearing a black t-shirt with the T-J Security logo on it. "Christian, we're going to be heading out in about half an hour. You almost ready?"

"Yeah, I was just finishing up in here," Christian said, glancing down at the pile of magazines on the table. Taylor walked over and picked up one of them.

" _Cosmo_?" he asked, glancing over at Theo with a smirk. "Looking for some fashion and makeup tips, Theo?"

"You know it, man," Theo grinned as Christian chuckled.

"Seriously, though - Christian, this Anastasia gig could be huge for our company," Taylor said to Christian, gesturing to the magazine."We have a chance at getting a huge commission here, and you could even earn a seven-figure salary from this gig. Today's our one shot on making a good impression on these people, so don't screw it up, alright?"

Taylor often gave Christian speeches like this before a big job, but today he knew it was particularly important he listened. He nodded. "You got it, boss."

"He'll be great, T," Theo said confidently, clasping a hand on Christian's shoulder and grinning. "I have complete confidence in him."

"I do too," Taylor grinned at Christian. "C'mon, we'll grab our things before heading out."

Christian got to his feet before taking one last sip of his coffee. He set it back down on the table before walking out of the break room, saying goodbye to Theo as he went.

* * *

Once they got the address and gate codes from Carla, Taylor and Christian began the drive to Anastasia's Beverly Hills home. It was about a half-hour drive away from T-J Security, and Christian sat in the passenger seat as he gazed out the window - they were currently driving through West Hollywood, where a lot of celebrities resided in beautiful multi-million dollar mansions. It was strange for Christian to imagine he might just get to live in a place like that for the foreseeable future.

They eventually arrived at the gated community in Beverly Hills, and after the security guard let them in, they drove down a long residential road lined with beautiful palm trees and mansions before ending up at a driveway. As they pulled in, Anastasia's gigantic Victorian-style house loomed into view - it looked to be at least 7,500 square feet, complete with large floor-to-ceiling windows and a huge arch over the front porch. Surrounding the house there was a vast expanse of green grass, palm trees, and flower beds.

As Taylor pulled up the circular driveway, the woman Christian remembered as Carla stepped outside to greet them. She was looking very poised and professional today in a black pencil skirt and a pressed white blouse with a blazer.

"Jason, Christian - glad you could make it," she greeted them with a polite smile as Taylor and Christian got out of the car.

"Thanks, we're glad to be here," Taylor said, walking forward and shaking her hand. Christian did the same.

"Would you guys like to come in? Ana has a few guests over, but I can give you a tour while you're here."

"Sure, sounds good," Christian agreed, and he and Taylor followed Carla through the front doors of the gargantuan house. He tried not to stare too much at the beauty and largesse around him, but it was difficult - the foyer alone was three stories tall with a large crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling and a huge staircase leading up to not one but two indoor balconies on the second and third floors.

"…Alright, so when you walk through the front doors, the kitchen and dining room are to the right and the lounge area is to the left," Carla gestured to the massive rooms on either side of them. "Up ahead down the hallway is the rest of the main floor. There's the living room, a game room, the in-home theater, a couple bathrooms, and a back porch leading to the deck and pool area."

Carla walked forward, and Christian and Taylor followed her. Christian couldn't resist staring at everything around him in awe; beautiful paintings hung on the walls, and the floors they were walking on seemed to be made of black and white polished marble. This was definitely the fanciest place Christian had ever stepped foot in.

Carla led them through the rest of the main floor, showing the spacious game room (which had a pool table and several arcade machines), and the in-home theater (containing twenty leather armchairs, a popcorn machine, and a huge projector screen). They then walked into the living room where Anastasia and a few other people were lounging around on the leather couches chatting with each other; they all looked up when the three of them walked in.

"Ana, you remember Christian from Taylor-Jones Security?" Carla asked, and Anastasia stood up.

"Yeah, of course," she smiled, walking over to greet them. Christian had almost forgotten what Anastasia looked like in person, especially after having perused all those glossy magazine covers of her, but she was absolutely stunning. She looked very comfortable today in a loose white tank top and cutoff shorts, with her long brown hair thrown up in a high ponytail.

"Good to see you again," Christian greeted her politely, and they shook hands. Christian could swear he felt a small spark once their hands touched, but he assumed it was because he was nervous meeting someone so famous. He gestured to Taylor beside him. "This is Jason Taylor, my employer."

"Nice to meet you, Jason. Sorry I didn't come outside to greet you guys," Anastasia said apologetically. She then turned toward the other people in the room. "Everyone, this is my new CPO, Christian."

"Hi," they waved at him. There were three people in total: two girls wearing sweatshirts and leggings, and a guy in a black Supreme t-shirt and snapback hat. He looked vaguely familiar to Christian, though he couldn't quite place him.

"This is Vivian, my assistant," Anastasia gestured to one of the girls. "She was with me and Mom during that photoshoot last week. And this is Jessica, my next door neighbor. And over there is my boyfriend Colton."

Colton smiled at them, and Christian now recognized him as the actor Colton West.

"Hey, you're Colton West," Christian said in comprehension, pointing at him. "I know who you are. I really liked you in the movie _Daredevil Max_."

The others laughed while Colton grinned. "Thanks man," he said, nodding appreciatively.

"Always nice to meet a fan," Anastasia smirked, crossing her arms as she glanced over at Christian. "Did my mom finish giving you guys the tour?"

"I was just about to show them the second floor," Carla said. "Would you like to come with us?"

"Sure," Anastasia said brightly before looking back at the others. "I'll be right back, guys."

The four of them made their way down the hallway toward the staircase. As they walked up the stairs, a brownish-gray tabby cat appeared on the second floor and began padding it's way down the stairs toward them.

"You're not allergic to cats, are you Christian?" Anastasia asked, picking the cat up in her arms. "This is Agatha, my baby."

Christian couldn't help but smile as he watched the cat purr contentedly in Anastasia's arms and she stroked its soft fur. "No, I'm not allergic."

Carla didn't say anything, though there was a distinctly annoyed look on her face as she glanced at the cat. She walked past them up toward the second floor, and Christian, Taylor, and Anastasia all followed. Anastasia quietly set down the cat, and it trotted away down the stairs.

The second floor was just as spacious as the main floor, with a second lounge room, a den area, an in-home office that Anastasia used for conference calls, and a couple more bathrooms. There was also a massive fitness area, complete with mirrors on the walls, workout equipment, bench presses, and barbells.

"I work out everyday," Anastasia informed Christian as they walked through the fitness area. "One hour in this room, or I'll go for a run around the neighborhood for at least 3 miles. I would definitely need you with me if I go for a run, but not necessarily if I'm in this room - I have a trainer, and she comes in only about once a week. If you'd like to work out with me in here, you're totally free to."

"Great," Christian said, gazing around in delight. He actually loved working out - it was practically a requirement to stay in shape at T-J Security, but even on his days off he would go for a run or hit the gym. He felt this would be the perfect place to do that.

"Christian here is actually a fitness nut," Taylor pointed out, grinning at him. "Isn't that right, Christian?"

"A bit," Christian agreed, and Anastasia smiled at him.

"Really? Maybe you could replace Tessa as my weekly trainer," she said humorously, and Christian couldn't help but smile. He wasn't sure why, but he liked when Anastasia smiled at him like that.

"Just to be completely clear, Christian definitely has the job?" Taylor asked, glancing between Anastasia and Carla. "I was under the impression we were just doing a trial run today, but if you already made a final decision, we'd be more than happy to accommodate."

"Unless Christian has any objections, I wouldn't mind if he started as early as tomorrow," Anastasia said, looking at Christian again. "Up on the third floor we already have one of the guest rooms fully furnished and set up for you, and I could send out for whatever personal effects you might need. Other than that, though, you're completely free to start as soon as you'd like."

Christian glanced over at Taylor, who gave him an encouraging look, before he looked back over at Anastasia. This all seemed to be happening very fast, but at the same time he felt kind of excited to begin. "Sounds great. I'd be more than happy to start tomorrow."

Anastasia beamed at him, and Christian couldn't help but smile too. She really was a stunningly beautiful woman, and it was starting to really sink in now that he was going to be spending every single day with her.

"Wonderful," Carla said brightly. "We can go over Christian's salary and benefits a little bit later. Right now, I want to go over Anastasia's schedule for the next month or so - I have the binder over in the office right now. Luckily her schedule has slowed down a bit lately, and her next world tour isn't for another few months, but that's definitely something we've got to prep for when the time comes…"

Carla walked out of the gym toward the office, and the others were left trailing behind her. Anastasia fell in step beside Christian.

"Welcome to the job, Mr. Grey," she smiled at him, holding out her hand to shake. Christian chuckled before taking her hand in his own.

"Thank you, Ms. Steele."

Their moment was interrupted by Carla handing Christian Anastasia's schedule, which was a large plastic binder filled with a stack of papers at least an inch thick.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for reading! If you liked this chapter, please review :)**

 **Be sure to check out my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	3. First Day on the Job

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Hope you all enjoy this next chapter :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: First Day on the Job**

 _Beep! Beep! Beep!_

The sound of the alarm woke Christian up from his sleep, and he slowly and groggily opened his eyes, yawning tiredly. It took him a moment to remember where he was since he didn't immediately recognize his surroundings, but after he was able to take in the high-quality down comforter he was wrapped up in, the light gray walls surrounding him, and large floor-to-ceiling window to his right, all of yesterday came back to him.

He had accepted the job of being Anastasia's CPO, and he was currently in her house, having slept last night in his new bedroom on the third floor of her mansion. He hadn't planned on accepting the job so soon, especially since he didn't have any of his own stuff here, but Anastasia had been kind enough to supply him with some basic things so he could stay the night and start working in the morning. Taylor had promised to send his stuff over sometime today, obviously eager for Christian to begin this job as soon as possible, and Christian was fine with that. He didn't have a ton of personal effects to begin with anyway.

This luxurious king-size bed and Egyptian cotton sheets felt amazing, and right now he wanted nothing more than to sink back into the warmth of his blankets and fall back asleep. But he and Anastasia were supposed to go for a run this morning, and he had to be ready before her, so he reluctantly pulled off his blankets and got out of bed.

Christian went over to his walk-in closet, which Anastasia had already fully stocked with an entirely new wardrobe, mostly consisting of workout clothes, button-down shirts, and Armani suits. The button-down shirts and suits were for when he accompanied her out in public, but right now he picked out a black t-shirt, some basketball shorts and tennis shoes for their run.

He went downstairs into the kitchen, looking around at all the high-end appliances. According to the schedule Carla gave him yesterday, he was supposed to help Anastasia prep for her morning workouts - she apparently liked to drink a kale mango smoothie with a protein B-12 boost first thing in the morning. It was probably something she could make for herself, but he felt he should do it so he could make a good first impression. This was his first day on the job, after all.

He dug around in the double wide fridge and found mangoes, kale, orange juice, and yogurt before going through the cupboards and finding the honey, protein powder, and B-12 supplements. He cut up the mango into chunks before dumping all the ingredients and some ice into the industrial blender. It took him a moment or two to figure out the buttons, but soon he got it working, and he blended up everything until it was all a pale green smoothie.

"Good morning Christian."

Christian looked over his shoulder to see Anastasia walk into the kitchen, wearing a black Nike sports bra and leggings with her hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"Good morning," Christian said, now pouring the smoothie into a glass. "Carla mentioned you like smoothies in the morning?"

"Yeah, I do. Thanks," Anastasia smiled and accepted the glass from him. "Ready to run soon?"

"Yup," Christian said, now pouring the rest of the smoothie mixture into another glass. "Is there a set path we're going on?"

"I usually go on a three-mile stretch around the block. It's not too hard - you can just follow my lead."

She took a sip of her smoothie before excusing herself and leaving the kitchen. Christian drank down his own smoothie, which actually wasn't that bad, before he began to stretch out his hamstrings in preparation for their run. Anastasia soon returned to the kitchen with a baseball cap and sunglasses, and the two of them went outside together. It was a bright and sunny day as they jogged to the end of the driveway together and turned onto the street.

They ran side-by-side, and although Christian remembered his training and remained focused on their surroundings, he couldn't help but be acutely aware of Anastasia in her jogging gear - her sports bra showing off her thin body and toned stomach, while her long brown ponytail swung wildly underneath her baseball cap. It was hard not to be distracted, but Christian forced himself to focus on his pace and their surroundings. There were a few people out and about during their run, and most of them stopped and snapped a few pictures of Anastasia when they recognized her; for the most part, though, their jog went by without a hitch.

They got back to the house, and when they walked into the kitchen, they saw Carla sitting at the breakfast bar and busily texting on her phone. She glanced up at them.

"Good, you're back," she said briskly, turning back to her phone. "Ana, we have a meeting with Trey in an hour, and then we have a photoshoot at one o'clock for Clinique."

"Okay. I need to stop by the Apple store sometime today too," Anastasia walked over to the fridge and pulled out a water bottle. "My phone's been acting up lately, and I want to get the new iPhone."

"Vivian can go do that for you," Carla said dismissively. "Come on, we've got more important stuff to deal with today."

"Okay, fine," Anastasia said, raising up her hands innocently before making her way out of the kitchen and up the stairs toward her bedroom. Christian had just been standing off to the side, not knowing what to do, before he decided to get a bottle of water from the fridge as well. He quickly followed Anastasia upstairs to his own bedroom.

Christian showered before changing into one of his new suits, which he was pleased to find fit him very well. He had a Bluetooth earpiece that he slipped into his ear, and after quickly glancing into the mirror, he straightened his lapels and ran a hand through his copper-colored hair, deciding he liked this more polished appearance. If he had a pair of sunglasses, he'd look like one of the Men in Black guys.

He checked the schedule in the binder Carla had given him yesterday before going downstairs to wait for Anastasia. She came down a minute or two after him, looking very comfortable and chic in a white boho-style long-sleeve blouse, black leather pants, and high heels. Her hair hung long and straight down her back, and she hitched a handbag over her shoulder as she smiled at Christian in greeting.

"Ready to go, Ana?" Carla appeared from the kitchen, texting busily on her phone, and Anastasia's smile faded when she glanced at her mother. "Trey's gonna be at the restaurant in fifteen minutes."

"Yup, let's go," Anastasia said, and Christian walked over to the front door and held it open for both of them to walk through first.

* * *

LA traffic was pretty busy at this time of day, but Christian was thankful for the Audi SUV Anastasia had issued for him to drive. It came complete with tinted windows and temperature-controlled leather seats, and there was even a divider separating the back seats from the front seats. Christian opted to the leave the divider down as Anastasia and Carla sat together in the backseat, not talking as they both texted on their phones.

Their first stop was the restaurant where they were going to - Christian parked the SUV in a nearby parking lot and opened the back door for Anastasia and Carla to step out. The three of them made their way across the street toward the restaurant, but within seconds Anastasia was hounded by several excited teenage girls wanting to get pictures with her. Anastasia was kind enough to spend a few minutes with them, posing for a few selfies and signing autographs. After about five minutes the three of them were finally able to enter the restaurant undeterred.

"…Hey," Carla grabbed Christian by the sleeve and pulled him aside toward the bar area while Anastasia headed over to a nearby table. "I know you're new at this whole personal security gig, but you need to do a much better job of keeping Anastasia out of the public eye. Fans approaching her like that is unacceptable. She is one of the most popular people in the world, and she is recognized practically everywhere we go. It's your job to be aware of that - understand?"

The firmness and vitriol in her voice surprised Christian, and he blinked before nodding. "Yes ma'am."

"Good. Wait here while we talk with her agent," Carla ordered, and with that she finally let go of his arm and walked over to where Anastasia was.

Christian walked over to the bar and sat down, feeling a large pit in his stomach. It was barely his first day on the job, and he was already getting scolded by Anastasia's mother. He had never been instructed to keep young fans away from Anastasia - as long as they weren't causing a problem, he didn't think it was a big deal. Although, he supposed it could be considered a privacy issue.

 _Fuck, am I going to get fired already?_

Trying not to think too much about it, he ordered a Coke from the bartender, wishing he could have a beer or something, but knew it would have been inappropriate to drink on the job at ten o'clock in the morning. He looked over at Anastasia, Carla, and the young bearded guy he knew was Trey conversing with each other as they ordered their food, and he glanced at his surroundings. They were in a normal, high-end LA restaurant which was pretty crowded with customers, but thankfully no one seemed to be bothering Anastasia throughout her meal.

About an hour and a half later, the three of them stood up to leave, and Christian got up too, paying the bartender for his soda. He went over to join Anastasia and her group before leading them toward the front door and opening it.

"…It was great catching up with you again, Ana," the guy named Trey said, and they pecked each other on both cheeks. "I'll see you again in a few weeks to hash out specifics, alright?"

"Definitely. Thanks Trey," Anastasia grinned, and she and Carla said goodbye to him one last time before heading over to the SUV. Christian quickly followed them, keeping an eye on their surroundings before opening the back car door for Anastasia and Carla to get in. He then got in the driver's seat and started the ignition, ready to head off to their next destination.

After driving through the city for about twenty minutes, they made it to the studio where Anastasia had to do a photoshoot for Clinique. Once again, Christian parked the car, got out, and opened the back door for Anastasia and Carla to get out.

Thankfully, no 'Fanastasias' converged on them this time as they made their way to the studio, and Christian led the way toward the front door of the building, and once again he opened the door to allow Anastasia and Carla to walk in front of him.

 _Will this entire job only consist of me opening doors for Anastasia and her mother?_

They walked forward and were met by a tall, professional-looking woman with a blonde chignon and a clipboard. She smiled widely upon seeing Anastasia.

"Anastasia, darling - thank you so much for coming by today," she said, and they pecked each other on the cheeks in greeting. "All of us at Clinique are so happy to have you here with us to to this photoshoot."

"The pleasure's all mine, Cyndee," Anastasia said with a genuine smile. "I am so excited to be doing this with you all today."

Anastasia, Carla, and the woman named Cyndee all walked away down the hallway, leaving Christian to follow along behind them. He kept a few paces behind them, figuring that if he wanted to do this job he ought to get used to being ignored.

* * *

The rest of the day passed by in a similar manner - Christian shuttling Anastasia and Carla to different places, him holding open doors for them, and him standing around silently as Anastasia conducted her business. It was pretty dull work, which Christian had expected, and it wasn't helped by the fact that Carla had already reprimanded him. He felt like she was just waiting for a chance to fire him, and he didn't want to give her a reason to.

Finally, at around seven o'clock that evening, they arrived back at Anastasia's house for dinner. Christian was starving, considering how he had barely eaten anything all day, and he felt his stomach growl the moment they entered the house and smelled a delicious Italian dinner cooking in the kitchen.

"Christian, allow me to introduce you to Tom, my private chef. Tom, this is my new CPO Christian," Anastasia introduced as they walked into the kitchen. Tom was a short, dark-skinned gentleman wearing a short-sleeved chef's shirt and a bandana around his neck. He glanced up and smiled at Christian.

"Pleasure to meet you, Christian," Tom said with a heavy Italian accent. He reached over the counter and shook Christian's hand. "Tonight for dinner we have lobster stuffed ravioli, pesto, and bruschetta. You like?"

"Sounds delicious. Thank you," Christian smiled, and Tom grinned widely back.

"Anastasia, we have that conference call with the label in a few minutes," Carla said to Anastasia. "You coming?"

"Yeah, I'll be right there."

Anastasia picked a slice of bruschetta from the platter on the counter before thanking Tom and following her mother upstairs, not even looking back at Christian as she went. This whole day went by without her saying much to him at all, and while Christian knew that this was just a job, he couldn't help but feel a bit disheartened. In the short time he had known her, he found he quite liked talking to Anastasia; he supposed she was too rich and important to hold conversations with lowly employees like him though.

Tom fixed up a plate of ravioli and bruschetta for Christian, and Christian thanked him before taking it upstairs to his bedroom, where he decided to watch a little TV while he ate. He also decided to peruse the schedule Carla had given him yesterday and figure out how the rest of his week was going to go.

About half an hour later, his dinner plate was empty and he continued to peruse the schedule while listening to the television in the background. There was a knock on his door.

"Come in," he said, glancing up.

"Hey," Anastasia peeked her head in before opening the door wider. There was a man behind her holding what Christian recognized as his own suitcase. "Sorry, your boss Taylor stopped by with your things and I had my butler Winston bring it up for you."

"Oh, thank you. You didn't have to do that," Christian said, closing the binder and getting to his feet. "I could've gone down and gotten my own stuff."

"It was no problem, sir," Winston said, bringing the suitcase into his room and setting it beside the bed.

"Well, thanks again," Christian said gratefully, and Winston nodded and smiled at him before leaving the room.

"So how was your first day on the job?" Anastasia asked, crossing her arms and leaning one shoulder on the door frame, smirking.

Christian couldn't help but chuckle, shoving his hands in his pockets. "It was pretty interesting. I've done CPO work before, so a lot of it was to be expected."

"Well I thought you did a great job today," Anastasia said, smiling at him. "I know this is going to work out great for us."

Christian smiled back at her, but it faded after a moment before he cleared his throat. "I um… I wanted to apologize about earlier today. Those girls that approached you this morning in front of the restaurant… I should have intervened, and I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Anastasia frowned at him. "What do you mean? They just wanted some pictures and autographs - you didn't have to do intervene with that."

"Well, your mother had pulled me aside in the restaurant and told me I needed to stop stuff like that from happening. She was kind of reprimanding me for it."

Anastasia's face fell into a somewhat impassive expression. "I see. Well, I'm sorry my mother said that to you Christian, but she really didn't have to. I get approached by fans all the time, and I only need you around to protect me if it becomes a safety issue. I'll have a word with her so she won't say things like that again to you."

Christian nodded, not trusting himself to say anything. He had the distinct impression this wasn't the first time Carla had spoken out of turn like this to one of Anastasia's employees.

"And look on the bright side," she went on, smiling slightly. "My mother doesn't accompany me everywhere I go, so you won't have to put up with her too much. She's really just around for the more business-y aspects of my job, that's all."

Her smile faltered slightly, and after a moment she cleared her throat, turning to leave. "Anyway I'll, um… I'll leave you to it, then."

Before she walked away, Christian spoke up: "Goodnight, Anastasia," he said. Anastasia glanced back at him.

"Goodnight Christian," she smiled at him before turning back around and walking away.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry if this chapter was a bit slow, but I had to get Christian's first day on the job out of the way lol. Despite that, I hope you all enjoyed this! Next chapter, we'll learn a bit more about Ana's life and her relationship with Colton.**

 **Please review! And be sure to follow my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	4. Living the Dream

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews and support! Enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Living the Dream**

The rest of the week was pretty interesting for Christian, and he actually found himself enjoying some of the work he was doing for Anastasia as he accompanied her from place to place. She had told him after his first day that Carla didn't really go places with her very much, and that ended up being true - it was mostly just him and Anastasia by themselves, sometimes accompanied by her assistant Vivian or some of her music producers. Christian actually had the distinct impression that Carla only stuck around that first day just to keep an eye on him, and the thought was pretty disconcerting, but he was thankful at least Anastasia wasn't like her mother.

For the next few days, Christian accompanied Anastasia in her workouts, to various public events, interviews, press outings, and meetings, and they even went to a couple recording sessions with other musicians. Anastasia was going to be featured on Maroon 5's newest single, so she and Adam Levine had met up at a nearby studio on Friday evening to record her part.

Sitting outside the soundbooth near the glass-pane window, Christian had to admit it was pretty incredible listening to Anastasia sing in person; a lot of her pop music was auto-tuned to sound more modern, but her unfiltered voice sounded absolutely beautiful. He listened as she sang into the microphone inside the recording booth, a large pair of headphones over her ears and her eyes closed as she let the sounds of Maroon 5's new R&B song wash over her.

"Great job, Anastasia," Adam smiled as soon as she finished her part and exited the booth. He stood up from his seat in front of the soundboard. "Your part's gonna sound amazing, I just know it."

"Thanks," Anastasia smiled at him. "I loved the melody, by the way - that bass line was fantastic."

"Oh yeah, totally. James wrote that for us, it's pretty sick…"

Anastasia and Adam chatted for a few more minutes about the song before Anastasia said goodbye and she and Christian headed out the door.

"…Well, congratulations Christian. You just got an exclusive listen to the newest Maroon 5 song," Anastasia joked as they stepped outside, where night had fallen. They walked together toward the SUV. "You must feel pretty special."

"Indeed, I do," Christian grinned, opening the car door for Anastasia to get inside. "Where to next?"

"Home, please," Anastasia hoisted herself into the car and sat down. "Some people are going to be coming over tonight, so I want to get there before they arrive."

"Okay," Christian closed the door behind her before walking over to the driver's side.

About twenty minutes later, they arrived at the house and walked through the front door, where Carla and Vivian were sitting together at the breakfast counter in the kitchen. They both glanced up.

"Hey Ana. How was your recording session?" Carla asked.

"It went pretty well - I think the song's gonna turn out great," Anastasia smiled, setting her purse down on a nearby chair and moving toward the fridge to grab a drink. "Colton and some other people are coming over tonight, by the way. Just thought you should know."

"Okay, honey. I'll be out of your way in a moment," Carla said, picking up her phone and texting something it. Ana glanced over at Christian.

"Thanks for all your help today, Christian. You can be done for the night," she smiled at him. Christian smiled back.

"Thank you, Ana. Have a good night," he said before turning toward the staircase. Throughout the week she had asked him to call her by her preferred nickname, Ana, instead of Ms. Steele or ma'am. Carla didn't say anything about their newfound familiarity, but Christian could tell from the expression on her face she didn't approve.

Christian went upstairs to his bedroom on the third floor - over the past week, his new room had basically become his own haven. He was subletting his current apartment out in Culver City so he could take up residence in Anastasia's house, and it really wasn't so bad. His room had a large HDTV with digital streaming, a mini fridge, a desk with a computer, WiFi, and central heating and air conditioning. It was like a pimped out dorm room, and Christian would be happy to spend most of his time up here when he wasn't working for Anastasia.

He turned on the TV and flipped to the Lakers game before sitting down at his desk, turning on his computer to check his emails. He had a message from Taylor, asking him how the work was going, and Christian sent him a quick message back.

After about half an hour, a thumping beat began to sound from downstairs, indicating music was playing loudly. Anastasia's friends must have arrived, and since she hadn't allowed Christian to come downstairs, he was fine sticking around upstairs in his room for the time being.

His cell phone suddenly rang, and, figuring it was Taylor, he answered it without looking at the caller ID. "Grey."

There was a short pause on the other end. "Hi Christian."

Christian immediately tensed, recognizing that voice and wondering why she of all people was calling him right now. "Susannah?"

"Yeah, um…" Susannah cleared her throat. "Sorry for calling so late. How are you?"

"Um… I'm fine," Christian said, furrowing his brow. "What do you want?"

"Oh, um… I was just wondering if you still kept any of my jewelry from when we were together," she said hesitantly. "I recently brought some stuff out of storage and I couldn't find one of my jewelry boxes. It's silver, and it has my grandma's tennis bracelet in it."

"I don't think I have it. Sorry," Christian said, running a hand through his hair and tugging on the ends. "I'm not home at the moment, but I can let you know if I ever find it."

"Cool, thanks," Susannah said, and there was another short pause. "So… where are you now if you're not at home?"

"I'm on a job."

"Oh really? Where?" she asked, sounding interested

"It's confidential," Christian said with finality. "Susannah, I have to go."

"No, wait!" she said quickly. "I-I'm sorry, I just… I want to talk to you. I want to know how you've been."

"Thank you for your concern, Susannah, but I'm fine," Christian said, trying not to clench his teeth. "Goodbye."

"Please don't be like this, Christian," Susannah said, sounding sad. "I miss talking to you and spending time with you. Remember how we used to be…?"

Christian hung up the phone before he could hear the rest of what she had to say. How fucking dare she try to reconnect with him under the guise of wanting some jewelry box back? He then got to his feet and began to pace the area in front of his bed, trying to ignore the anger simmering throughout his whole body - Susannah always fucking made him feel this way, and he hated it. This wasn't the first time she had called him up out of the blue wanting to strike up a 'casual' conversation with him; the fact that she had cheated on him a year ago seemed irrelevant to her, and she thought that they could just be friends now. He wished she would just fucking leave him alone.

 _Maybe I should change my number._

Just as he was considering doing that, he felt his stomach rumble, and he realized he had forgotten dinner tonight. When he heard that Anastasia was having people over tonight, he had headed right upstairs without grabbing something to eat - maybe he could have something quick to eat before going into the gym for a workout to burn off his excess energy.

He walked over to his mini fridge and opened the door: it contained a single can of diet Coke and nothing more. He'd have to go downstairs into the kitchen if he wanted something to eat.

He really didn't want to interrupt Anastasia and her friends hanging out downstairs, however; he didn't know her well enough to know if she would chew him out for interrupting them. However, he figured he didn't have a choice - he hoped he could just sneak into the kitchen and quickly grab something from the fridge before heading back upstairs.

Christian walked out of his room and moved toward the staircase - the lights downstairs were dimmed and music was thumping from the main lounge area. He walked down the stairs and saw about six or seven people, including Anastasia and Colton, sitting on the couches or standing in the middle of the floor, dancing to the beat of the music. There was a lot of laughing and giggling amongst them all, and everyone was holding red solo cups of what was clearly alcohol.

"Ari, oh my God!" everyone starting laughing as a girl leapt on top of a blonde guy, hooking her arms around his neck and riding piggyback.

None of them seemed to notice Christian, and he didn't say anything as he made his way over to the kitchen. He went to the fridge and started looking for something easy - he decided on a sandwich, and started gathering ingredients together and bringing them to the counter.

"Christian?"

Christian looked up to see Anastasia walk into the kitchen by herself - she had changed out of her day clothes and into a lacy black crop top and high-waisted shorts with high-heeled wedges and smokey eye makeup. She was holding a red solo cup in her hand and was looking sexy as fuck; Christian felt his heart stutter slightly as he stared at her.

"Oh um… hey," he said, and cleared his throat. "Sorry if I'm bothering you. I was just going to grab some dinner before heading back upstairs."

"That's totally fine," Ana smiled at him, walking over to lean on the breakfast counter. "If we're being too loud for you, just let me know."

"Oh please, don't worry about it," Christian said sincerely. "This is your house, you can be as loud as you want."

Suddenly a loud cackle of laughter sounded from the other room, and Anastasia and Christian glanced over to see a couple of her friends dancing together and practically tumbling over each other in their wasted state.

"Sorry about them," Ana said apologetically, turning back to Christian with a grimace. "Colton wanted to invite some of our friends over tonight, and they get pretty rowdy sometimes. Colleen and her boyfriend are alright, but Ari and her brother can be real party animals sometimes."

"Ari?" Christian glanced over at the group of people in the other room. "As in…?"

"Ariana Grande," Ana nodded, smiling as she gestured back toward the lounge. "That's her and her brother Frankie over there. I've been good friends with both of them for a few years now."

"Wow," Christian smiled. "Color me impressed."

"Are you being sarcastic with me, Mr. Grey?" Ana asked, quirking an eyebrow at him and smiling. "You do know I'm your employer, right?"

"My apologies, Ms. Steele," Christian said apologetically, but he smiled back at her all the same.

A loud squeal and a giggle suddenly sounded from the lounge, and Christian and Anastasia looked over to see a guy and a girl dancing with each other in the middle of the room: it was Colton and some blonde girl. The girl had placed a shotglass in her cleavage and Colton had pressed his face into her chest to pick it up with his mouth. The others all cheered and whooped excitedly.

Christian felt surprised and a bit disgusted that Colton would do that with another girl, especially when his own girlfriend was right in the other room. Anastasia had turned her gaze back to the counter, where her hands were fiddling with the base of her red solo cup, her expression closed off and indecipherable.

There was a short awkward silence between the two of them, and finally Christian couldn't help but speak up: "Are you really okay with him doing that?"

Anastasia looked back up at Christian before glancing back over at Colton and the girl. "Colton? Oh yeah," she said. giving Christian a rather forced smile. "It's totally cool. He can do whatever he wants, I don't really care."

Christian blinked. "Oh," he said, unsure of how to respond to that.

"It's not that big a deal," Ana went on. "Colton's a good guy, but we aren't 'exclusive' so to speak. We've been friends for awhile and we've hooked up a few times in the past, but a lot of our relationship is really just for when we're out in public and photographed by the paparazzi. In private, both of us just kind of do whatever we want."

Christian couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly at that revelation. "Wow. Are all celebrity relationships like that?"

Ana giggled. "More than you'd think. It's no surprise that those big celebrity couples tend to rake in the money - and their big, dramatic break-ups rake in even more."

"I don't even know what's real anymore," Christian joked. Ana giggled again, but after a moment or two her smile faded into a pensive look. She turned her gaze down toward the counter.

"…It can get a bit lonely, I guess," she said, fiddling with her cup. "This whole ruse. We have to pretend like we're this happy couple in love, when really we're not…" She glanced back up at Christian and grimaced slightly. "It's kind of depressing."

Christian glanced down at the table. "I can imagine," he said quietly.

"I know I shouldn't really complain," Ana shrugged after a moment, giving Christian a rather forced smile. "My life isn't exactly something to be sad about - not at all. I guess I just feel like it would be nice if I found someone I could be with for real and in a normal capacity, you know? Even if that guy isn't Colton." She glanced back down at the counter. "I don't know, it kind of feels like a foolish dream sometimes."

"It's not foolish," Christian said before he could stop himself, and Ana looked back up at him. "At the end of the day, we all want to be loved by someone."

He knew that was the truth. There was a point in his life where he had wanted to be loved by Susannah, but that ship had sailed a long, long time ago. That feeling of wanting to be loved by someone never went away, however… he and Anastasia were very similar in that regard.

It was hard to imagine that Anastasia, an internationally-famous pop star, actually had something in common with him. It was very strange to think about.

"Ana!" Ariana Grande suddenly ran up and hooked her arm through Anastasia's elbow, giggling. "Ana, come here and watch this funny video Frankie showed us."

"Okay," Ana smiled before glancing back over at Christian. "Have a good night, Christian."

"You too, Ana."

Ariana proceeded to drag Anastasia back toward the lounge area. Anastasia glanced over her shoulder at Christian, holding his gaze for a moment or two before turning around again. Christian turned back toward the counter to finish making his sandwich.

* * *

 **A/N: I had originally planned to have Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson come over to Anastasia's house together, but alas it was not meant to be :(**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this! Next chapter, we'll learn a bit more about Ana's past with her father Ray.**


	5. Mommy Dearest

**A/N: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Mommy Dearest**

The next morning, everyone was pretty late waking up - Anastasia and her friends had been partying together until the very early morning, and most of them ended up crashing in the living room for the rest of the night. Christian went downstairs to see the lounge area had been completely trashed with solo cups and empty bottles of alcohol, and he couldn't help but feel bad for Anastasia's housekeeping staff for having to deal with this whole mess.

Christian made the usual protein smoothie for his and Ana's workout, but he didn't expect Ana to be up anytime soon. He instead made himself one smoothie and drank it down before making his way upstairs to the in-home gym, thinking he could just get in a small workout this morning all by himself. Just as he halfway the stairs, however, Ana appeared on the second-floor landing.

"Hey Christian," she said. She was wearing her usual sports bra and skin-tight leggings, a small towel draped around her neck. "You ready to work out?"

"Oh - yeah," Christian said, a bit surprised. "Sorry, I thought you were planning on sleeping in this morning since all your friends are still here."

"They'll leave once they wake up," Anastasia shrugged. "I woke up pretty early this morning anyway, and I don't really see the point in hanging around and doing nothing."

"In that case, let's get to it," Christian smiled, stepping onto the landing beside her. "Did you want me to make you a smoothie before we start?"

"No, I think I'm good," Anastasia laced her fingers together befores stretching her arms out in front of her. "I don't need any extra protein to out-bench press you."

Christian chuckled. Even though Ana was in very good shape, they both knew she could barely lift a fourth of what he could. "Whatever you say, Ms. Steele."

The two of them made their way into the gym, which had been tidied up since they had used it yesterday. Ana made her way over to the small glass refrigerator against the side wall to grab a couple water bottles for the two of them.

 _BZZZZ BZZZZ_

Christian's cell phone suddenly began to vibrate loudly in his pocket, and he took it out to check the caller ID. It was his mother.

"Sorry, I have to take this," Christian said apologetically to Anastasia, and she nodded. He hit answer and brought the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hi sweetheart," Grace Trevelyan-Grey said sweetly, and Christian could practically hear her smiling through the phone. "How are you?"

"I'm alright," Christian said, glancing over at Ana. "What's going on?"

"Oh, I just wanted to call and see how my youngest son was doing," she said, though Christian knew she always said that before getting to what she really wanted. "However, now that you ask, I was wondering if you were going to make the drive up to Burbank next week for your father's birthday?"

 _And there it is_. "I'm not sure if I can. I'm kind of on a job right now," Christian said. He looked over at Ana again, and she was doing hamstring stretches to warm up her muscles for their workout.

"You can't even take one day off?" Grace sounded dejected. "What is it you're doing exactly?"

"It's a CPO gig. I can't really talk too much about it," Christian said, reaching up to scratch the back of his head. "I'll have a word with my client and try to see if I can take a day off to drive down for Dad's birthday, alright?"

"Wonderful," Grace said happily. "Elliot and Mia both said they'd come too. I know your father's going to be wonderfully surprised when you all show up together to celebrate his birthday!"

Grace continued to talk for the next few minutes about everything they were going to do for Carrick's birthday and how much fun it was going to be before Christian was able to say goodbye. He finally ended the call.

"Sorry about that," Christian said apologetically to Ana, who was patiently waiting for him. She smiled.

"Don't worry about it," she said kindly. "Was that your mother?"

"Yeah. She wanted to know if I was free to drive up to their place in Burbank next week for my dad's birthday," Christian said. "I wasn't really sure what to say, considering the work I'm doing for you at the moment…"

"I don't mind giving you a day off," Ana insisted. "If it's just for the day - you can get in touch with your boss Taylor and have him send over a replacement. It's not that big a deal."

"Really?" Christian asked in surprise. "That would be great, actually. My mom would definitely appreciate it."

"Then it's settled," Ana smiled, though there was a hint of melancholy in her expression. "You really should go. Family's important, right?"

"Yeah," Christian agreed, and they made their way over to the treadmills. "I mean - you should know. You spend pretty much every day with your mother."

Ana let out a small laugh that almost sounded like a scoff. "I guess so," she said doubtfully as she stepped onto her treadmill and pressed a few buttons on it. "I can't honestly say my mother is the person I consider to be my family, though. She and my dad are divorced, and I was raised primarily by my dad up in the Seattle area. Carla didn't really play much of a role in my childhood or development; I mean, she did visit us from time to time, but for the most part she was too busy being a big-time music producer here in LA to have a lot of time for family."

She pressed another button, and the treadmill started to move; Ana began running at a slow-paced jog, and Christian did the same with his own treadmill, matching her speed.

"Was your mom the reason you got into music?" Christian asked as they jogged along.

"Not really. I've kind of always really been into music," Ana said. "I would put on performances for my dad all the time, and I would force him to watch American Idol with me every single week. He enrolled me in voice and piano lessons from the time I was five years old, and I started doing musical theater when I was twelve. Pretty much my whole life revolved around music."

Ana pressed another button on her treadmill and began to jog a bit faster. Christian did the same. "Well, it was nice of your dad to encourage you to pursue what you loved."

"Definitely," Ana said, and she smiled as she continued to jog. "I can safely say I wouldn't be the person I am today if not for my dad."

She didn't say anything after that, and Christian didn't pursue the subject anymore. The two of them continued to run on the treadmills for a bit, increasing their speed more and more as they went; their out-of-breath panting and exhaustion prevented them from holding a conversation any longer. Finally, after about twenty minutes or so, they slowed down their run back to a relaxed jog.

"Whew," Ana panted as soon as they were done. Sweat beaded down her face as she swiped her forehead with the back of her hand. "Want to do the pulley tower?"

"Sure," Christian said, stepping off his own treadmill. They walked over to the pulley tower and Ana sat down on the bench, reaching up to grab the cable handles. Christian moved the pins on the weights down so she was lifting about fifty pounds; she leaned back on the bench and began pulling the cables down and then up, her jaw clenching and her biceps flexing as she did.

"…So Christian, you said your parents were in Burbank. Did you grow up there?" Ana asked, panting as she pulled the weights down again.

"Yeah, I did," Christian said, surprised that she wanted to know about his life. "Near the north side. It was me, my mom and dad, my little sister Mia, and my big brother Elliot."

"That sounds nice," Ana smiled.

"I suppose so," Christian chuckled. "What about you? Do you have any siblings?"

"Nope, I was an only child," Ana said, grunting slightly as she brought the cables back up again. "Just me and my dad up in Seattle… I would've liked siblings though."

"You can have mine if you'd like," Christian joked, and Ana chuckled, panting as she continued to pull the weights. "Is the weight too much?"

"No - I can do at least ten more," Ana panted, and she continued to lift the weights, grunting as she exerted all of her strength. Finally, after ten reps, she let go of the cables and dropped the weights down with a clunk.

"Oh my God, my arms feel dead," Ana giggled, sitting up and rubbing her biceps. "Now it's your turn."

"Move aside," Christian grinned, taking the seat Ana vacated. "Double the weight, please."

"Showoff," Ana grinned, moving over to the weights and shifting the pin down to the bottom rung so he was lifting everything.

He tugged the cables down and pulled the weights up rather easily, almost as if there wasn't any resistance. Ana smirked as she watched, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Look at you go," she said amusedly, watching his biceps as they flexed with the pull of the cables. "Have you always been a fitness nut?"

"Since I was about sixteen," Christian said, panting slightly. "I was in JV football when I started working out everyday, and I've been doing it ever since."

"That's cool. Is your whole family athletic?"

"Not really," Christian couldn't help but grin. "My brother Elliot works out a bit, but my mom's a doctor and my dad's a lawyer. Real bookish, nerdy types."

"Yeah, I was kind of like that too," Ana giggled. "I didn't start working out until I was seventeen, but that had more to do with the fact that my mom took me out of school and brought me down to California to start my career as a famous singer. I needed to look the part."

Her eyes bore an unreadable expression, and Christian let go of the cables to sit up on the bench. "Wait, your mother forced you to come here?" he asked, feeling almost indignant on her behalf.

"I wouldn't say 'forced'," Ana shrugged, glancing down at her feet. "I already told you I loved singing and performing when I was little… and what seventeen-year-old girl doesn't want to be a famous pop star? My mom had actually come up to Seattle one day my junior year to see me perform at my high school musical, and I think I surprised her with my singing abilities since she had never heard me sing before. She later invited me to come stay with her in LA for the summer before my senior year, and I agreed. I thought she just wanted to spend some time with me, and I figured while I was in LA I could I could learn about the music industry. Once I got here, though, I found out my mom had already signed me up for a ton of auditions and meetings with producers. I ended up getting a few small gigs, and by the end of the summer, I had gotten my first real record deal."

Anastasia moved over to sit on the padded bench adjacent to the pulley tower. "I ended up leaving Seattle and dropping out of high school so I could stay here in LA with my mom," she said. "I continued making music and playing concerts, and by the time I was 19, I was world-famous."

She paused, and Christian didn't know what to say to that. Anastasia had never been this candid with him before, and he wasn't sure what he could say without overstepping his bounds.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, a lot of my life right now is great," she went on, glancing up at Christian and smiling assuredly. "I get to do what I love and make music for millions of people all over the world. Plus, I never have to worry about money, so that's definitely a bonus. I just don't want to sound like I'm complaining or something..."

She hesitated once again, clearly unsure of what else to say, and Christian decided to ask: "So what does your dad think about all this? Of you being a world-famous singer and all that?"

"He's always been very supportive of me no matter what I do," Ana said. "I think he was a bit hesitant of my choice when I started working with my mother, but since then he's been great. He still lives up in Seattle, and I pay for his house and his car and everything - he says that I don't have to, but I insist."

The small smile on her face was a bit melancholy, and she glanced down before picking at something on her leggings. "I haven't talked to him in a long time," she admitted.

Christian was a bit surprised - she spoke about her father with such fondness, he assumed the two of them had a close relationship. "I'm sorry."

"It is what it is," Ana shrugged. "I actually don't speak to a lot of the people I knew growing up."

"Really? How come?" Christian couldn't help but ask.

Ana gazed toward the opposite wall, as if trying to find her words. "It's a bit complicated," she said after a moment. "And it kind of makes me sound like a terrible person, but a lot of it has to do with money. I don't advertise my salary to the world or flaunt my wealth all that much, but most people know who I am and can figure out my net worth. They only want to associate themselves with me because of that. It's absolutely ridiculous how many so-called 'family friends' or 'long-lost cousins' have come out of the woodwork and suddenly want to reconnect with me, but that's not even the worst of it. I promised my friends back in Seattle that I wouldn't forget them if I got famous, and after my first album went platinum, I reached out to all of them. Most of them either accused me of changing too much since I moved to LA or they felt I was being stingy by not buying them big lavish gifts because I had money to burn now. It was as if I'd become their own personal piggy bank."

There was a bitter edge to her voice and she paused again, glancing down at the floor. Christian had never really considered what it might have been like for someone like Ana to have gotten a huge amount of money and fame at such a young age. It seemed as if people didn't treat her the same, and it was difficult for her to know who to trust - Christian couldn't imagine how lonely that would be.

"Did your dad do that to you, then?" Christian asked, and Ana looked at him. "Treat you differently because of your money?"

"Not really," Ana shook her head. "He's treated me pretty normally since I got famous, but I've only seen him a handful of times since then. I think a part of me is scared he'll start treating me differently if I don't hold him at arm's length." She let out a humorless chuckle. "I know it doesn't really make much sense… but experience with fame and money has taught me some pretty harsh life lessons. I think it would break my heart too much if my dad started treating me like my old friends did."

There was another short silence between the two of them, and Christian didn't really know what to say. The clock on the wall suddenly chimed, marking the hour, and Ana glanced up at it.

"Crap, I have to go," she said suddenly, getting to her feet. "My mom and I have a conference call in fifteen minutes. Feel free to keep working out in here by yourself."

She made her way to the door, and Christian turned to her. "Ana," he said, and she stopped, looking back at him. He got to his feet. "If it's worth anything… I think you should try calling your dad."

Ana blinked, her expression unreadable, and Christian went on: "I know that your old friends have hurt you in the past, but I also know that friends come and go. Your dad is always going to be your dad, and I'm sure he misses you. Maybe you should just try calling him… but that's just what I think."

Ana nodded, giving him a bare smile. "Thanks Christian. I'll consider it," she said quietly before turning around and walking out the door.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that chapter! If you did, please review :) Next chapter, Ana and Christian will get to share a moment together.**

 **Be sure to follow my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	6. Fatal Attraction

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Fatal Attraction**

The rest of the week ended up being fairly busy for Anastasia and Christian. In addition to her upcoming tour, she was going to be filming the music video to her newest song Fatal Attraction, a sexy R&B hit with a fast beat that sampled the riff from Britney Spears' _Toxic_. Ana had been training for hours every day at the dance studio with a whole team of backup dancers - Christian had to stand sentinel at the door watching, and while a lot of the training was rather boring, he couldn't help but enjoy watching Ana while she danced to the thudding, sultry hip-hop beat. The way she moved to the music, shook and shimmied her hips, and bent at the waist before flipping her hair up had Christian completely enraptured. He knew he probably shouldn't have been ogling his client in such an inappropriate manner, but he couldn't help it - Ana was gorgeous, and Christian was still a man who could appreciate a beautiful woman's body. Did that make him a pig?

 _Probably_

Taylor had offered to fill in for Christian the day he had to visit his family, so he was able to get the whole day off on Sunday. Early that morning, Christian made the hour-long drive up to Burbank to the estate his parents resided, and as expected everyone was there already when he arrived.

"Christian, it's so good to see you!" Mia exclaimed as she opened the door for him, practically tackling him in a hug. Christian hugged her back, smiling despite himself. "It's been forever since I've seen you! What have you been up to?"

"Nothing much. Mostly work," Christian said honestly. At that moment, Carrick and Grace appeared from the kitchen, and they smiled widely upon seeing Christian at the door.

"Oh darling, it's wonderful to see you," Grace moved forward to hug Christian as Mia moved aside. "How are you?"

"I'm good Mom," Christian smiled, and he glanced up at Carrick. "Happy birthday, Dad."

"Thanks son," Carrick grinned, holding out his hand to shake Christian's. "So what'cha get me?"

"Cary," Grace chided her husband lovingly as the others laughed. "Come on, Christian. Elliot's in the other room and we're about to eat lunch. We can all open presents and have some cake a little bit later."

Christian followed the others into the living room, where Elliot was watching a Lakers game on TV. He looked up and grinned widely when he saw Christian.

"Hey bro - good to see you," he said happily, holding out his fist, and Christian bumped it. "Come sit down, the Lakers are up fifteen points against the Bulls."

"Nice," Christian said, taking a seat on the couch beside him. "Fourth quarter?"

"Yup. LeBron is killing it," Elliot said, reaching over to the coffee table to grab his bottle of soda, taking a sip.

"So Christian, how's your work going?" Grace now asked, sitting on an armchair adjacent to him. "You mentioned you were doing a private security job?"

"Yeah," Christian nodded. "My boss Taylor is taking over for me today."

"Mom mentioned you're working for someone high-profile," Mia said with a grin, perching herself on the arm of the couch beside him. "Is it a famous person?"

"Maybe," Christian said cryptically. "I can't really talk too much about it, Mia."

"Oh c'mon please?" Mia begged, and Christian chuckled.

"No, I can't tell you. I'd be risking my job," he said firmly, and Mia pouted.

"You're no fun," she said, crossing her arms.

"So this private security job - it's a twenty-four hour thing, then?" Carrick asked Christian.

"Yup. I live on-site, so I have to sublet my apartment," Christian explained. "It's not too bad, plus I get to go to lots of cool places with my client, which is nice."

"So you're on-duty all the time?" Elliot asked, raising his eyebrows. "So, like, you don't get a social life or anything?"

"That sounds awful," Mia said, scrunching her nose with a frown.

"Guys," Grace chided her children.

"It's okay," Christian shrugged. "I mean, I got the day off today, but 24-hour work is kind of the nature of a CPO job. I get paid a lot of money to do what I do though, and it can be very rewarding."

"And we're very proud of you, sweetheart," Grace said to Christian pointedly. She got to her feet. "Gretchen and I are going to finish up lunch soon - I'll call you all into the kitchen once we're finished."

She walked away, and Christian looked back at the television, frowning slightly. He knew that his family worried about him, especially after the whole Susannah debacle last year, and they wanted to see him get out and meet a girl again. However, Christian had no desire to pursue a relationship anytime soon; he knew his family loved him and wanted what was best for him, but he wished they didn't worry about him so much.

The Lakers game turned into a commercial break, and a moment later Anastasia and her smiling face appeared on screen advertising the newest Clinique facial wash. Christian recognized this commercial from the shoot he had taken her to a few weeks ago, and was a bit surprised the ad was able to air so quickly. She looked beautiful as usual as she splashed water onto her face, her smooth skin airbrushed to perfection.

" _Try the new Clinique Facial Exfoliating Scrub and experience healthier, brighter, and cleaner skin!_ " the Anastasia onscreen said to the camera, smiling as she held up the bottle of facial soap.

"Oh my God, I _love_ Anastasia," Mia sighed as she gazed at the screen. "She's so pretty. I'd love to see her in concert someday."

"She is hot, but her music sucks," Elliot grimaced, getting to his feet. "C'mon, let's see if lunch is ready."

Elliot walked out of the room and Mia and Carrick followed him. Christian watched Anastasia on TV for a moment or two, smiling to himself, before getting out of his seat and following the others to the kitchen.

* * *

 **~The next day~**

Christian had gotten back from Burbank late last night after Carrick's birthday party, which consisted of dinner, birthday cake, and gift opening. Christian felt it was nice to spend a little time with his family, whom he hadn't seen in quite awhile, but it was a bit weird not being able to talk about working for a world-famous pop star. He knew he had to keep his work with her under wraps, but it would have been somewhat interesting to talk about at least.

This morning was Anastasia's music video shoot for Fatal Attraction, which she had been training for for several weeks now. It would likely take most of the day since the shoot consisted of multiple complicated sets that needed different lighting and camera angles; Ana also had to go through several costume changes and makeup looks that took quite a while to accomplish.

The main theme of the Fatal Attraction music video was going to be the workplace - all the sets would be sleek and modern corporate offices. Ana was going to be dressed up in variations of a sexy business suit including a short skirt with a garter belt, a low-cut blouse, sky-high heels, and black-frame glasses with the lenses cut out. Her chestnut brown hair would be loosely pinned back in a chignon before she would undo it and shake out her long, luscious curls. This whole video was going to be about sex appeal, and in addition to the sultry pulsing beat of the music, this video was sure to be a smash hit.

"Where are the backup dancers?" the director, a thin middle-aged woman named Madelyn, demanded as she stalked onto set. She snapped her fingers at a few passing sethands. "Get Stella and Daphne - they're meant to do this next part with Anastasia. Where are they? And where is Anastasia?"

"I'm right here," Ana walked onto the set, an overcoat covering her body as her sky-high heels clicked on the concrete floor. "Have you heard anything from the agency?"

"Not yet," Madelyn said worriedly. "I'm sure he'll come over soon - some of these male models are well-known for being divas."

Ana smiled before untying her overcoat and slipping it off her shoulders, revealing her sexy business woman outfit; it barely covered her slender body, and it was tight and shapely in all the right places. Christian, who was standing off to the side of the set, couldn't help but stare at her.

Ana glanced over and met Christian's gaze. She walked over to him, holding out her coat. "Hey Christian, do you mind holding onto this for me?"

"Sure," Christian said, accepting the coat from her. "Good luck out there."

"Thanks," Ana giggled, and Christian could swear he saw her blush.

"You know what? This is getting ridiculous, I'm going to call the agency," Madelyn now said, checking her watch before pulling out her cell phone. "He should have been here over two hours ago."

This male model was apparently going to be in one of the scenes in the video where he and Anastasia would act as business people having an illicit office affair, and they were going to grope each other before stripping out of their clothes. Unless the male model got here soon, though, that scene likely wasn't going to happen.

Anastasia stood on the set with the two other female dancers, waiting for Madelyn to finish up her phone call. She seemed to be having a heated exchange with the person on the other line before hanging up with an angry huff.

"I can't fucking believe this!" she snapped, turning back to Ana and the others. "The model's not coming! He came down with the flu last night and the agency forgot to send a replacement - they're all booked up for the whole day and we're stuck without anyone."

"What?" Ana frowned, looking dejected. "Seriously? This sucks - do we have to film his part on a different day now?"

"It seems like it," Madelyn said, shaking her head. "Rescheduling will be a bitch, and I'm sure as hell not using this agency again. I really don't know what to do now…"

She planted her hands on her hips, her frustration evident; Anastasia looked thoughtful for a moment or two before glancing over at Christian, an idea clearly springing into her head.

"Hey, what about my CPO?" she said to Madelyn, gesturing over to Christian. He glanced between the two of them, frowning.

"What?" he asked.

"You think he could fill in?" Madelyn said, gazing at Christian scrupulously before giving him a onceover. "He's definitely got the looks to pull it off. Have you done any modeling before?"

"No," Christian said, starting to feel uncomfortable. Did they really want him to fill in for the male model video? He wouldn't know what the hell to do with himself.

"Come on, Christian, you'd really be helping us out," Anastasia pleaded, walking over to him. "We don't have time to find someone new, and my schedule's booked for the next few weeks so I can't reshoot this. I already know you and feel comfortable with you, and I'll pay you extra if you do this."

She was practically begging him, and Christian's resolve was waning. He reluctantly glanced over at the set again. "I'm not comfortable being on camera," he said honestly.

"We won't show your face," Madelyn piped up, walking toward them. "Not in its entirety at least. The way the cameras are going to be angled and with the low lighting, you're only going to be seen from the chin down. And we can forego the stripping if you're uncomfortable with that too."

Christian looked at Madelyn before glancing over at Ana. He finally sighed, resigned. "Fine, I'll do it."

"Yay! Thank you!" Ana said happily, and she surprised Christian by hugging him tightly around the waist. "Let's get you to wardrobe and find you a new suit to wear."

She took his hand and began to pull him toward the nearby room with racks of clothes inside, and he was starting to seriously regret what he had agreed to do.

* * *

"…Alright, so just lean back against the desk like this."

Madelyn positioned Christian so he was resting against the edge of a large brown mahogany desk. He had changed into a new light blue button down shirt and tie with the sleeves folded up and black slacks with shiny Armani shoes. He also went to hair and makeup and got his normally messy hair styled so it was brushed away from his face in a clean and professional manner. He felt like he was dressed up for a job interview.

"Alright, now cross your ankles and your arms in front of you all casual," Madelyn said, and Christian complied. She smiled as she gave him a onceover. "Perfect! You're a complete natural at this, Christian. Are you sure you've never modeled before?"

Christian didn't know how to respond to that, but thankfully Anastasia walked onto the set at that moment. "Hey, are you guys ready to start?"

"Yep. Ana, you're going to start walking in from stage left - make it slow and seductive," Madelyn said to her. "Christian, just lean against the desk and watch her as she comes toward you. Look at her like she's your next meal. And when she reaches you she'll grab your tie and you'll put your hands around her waist. You can kind of improvise what you do after that, but be sure to keep it sexy."

"Got it," Ana nodded, walking off the left side of the stage. Christian swallowed, feeling his heart stutter in his chest as he prepared himself for what was to happen. He stayed leaning against the desk, looking as authoritative as he could.

"Alright, lower the lighting," Madelyn directed her lighting crew, and they complied. "Play the music… and _action_!"

The pulsing beat of the song began to play, and Anastasia slowly strutted onto set, her eyes on Christian. Her indecently short skirt showed off her garter belt and thigh-high stockings, and her five inch heels made her legs go on for a thousand miles. As she walked, she reached behind her head where her chignon was pinned in place, before undoing it and letting her hair tumble around her shoulders in loose curls.

 _Fuck_

If a woman had tried seducing him like this, he wouldn't last two minutes! He let his eyes roam over Ana's body, allowing himself to be as turned on by her as he had always secretly felt. His smoldering eyes met hers, and she smiled seductively at him.

 _Nothing I can do  
_ _To stop me from this sin  
_ _It's Fatal Attraction  
_ _That pulls my body in_

Ana reached Christian and took his tie in her hands, tugging lightly. As instructed, Christian stood up and placed his hands around her waist, running his hands along the smooth skin there. They were close enough so their noses and foreheads touched, brushing up against each other, and their mouths were only inches apart. Ana let go of his tie so she could run her hands along his chest, and Christian's hands slid from her waist and up her back.

"Perfect!" Madelyn said happily from behind the camera. "Anastasia, tangle your fingers through his hair."

Slowly, Ana ran her hands up Christian's chest toward his shoulders, inching her fingers up so she cupped either side of his head before sliding both hands into his hair, tangling her fingers in his tresses and tugging slightly.

 _Jesus Christ…_ Christian gazed at Ana with hooded eyes, and she stared back at him with equal arousal. She tugged his hair a bit harder so his head tilted back slightly, but he kept his eyes on her as his mouth opened slightly to accommodate his labored breathing. She leaned up so her mouth was hovering right over his before gently biting his lower lip.

 _Your toxic love  
_ _Gives me pleasure, gives me pain  
_ _Our Fatal Attraction  
_ _Is the thrill of the game_

"Christian, lean down and kiss her neck," Madelyn ordered.

Anastasia let go of his lip and Christian moved his head down so his mouth was hovering over the pulse point of her neck; he kissed her, nibbling on the skin gently. Ana tilted her head back as her hand in his hair slid down to the back of his neck, as if wanting to hold him there. Christian could swear he heard her let out a sigh.

"…Cut!" Madelyn shouted, and just like that the music stopped and the lights brightened. Christian and Ana separated, though they still stood close together; neither of them could meet each other's gaze.

"That was amazing, you two," Madelyn said brightly, walking toward them. "Absolutely perfect! You guys have some amazing chemistry, I have to say. Do you want to do a second take?"

"No, I think we're good," Ana smiled at Madelyn before looking at Christian. "Great job Christian - you're a real natural at this."

"Thanks," Christian smiled politely, taking his hands off her waist. He was acutely aware of the uncomfortable strain in his pants, and he prayed that she wouldn't notice. "Do you need me for anything else?"

"No, I think we're good," Madelyn answered. "Anastasia, we'll do the dance routine next. Do you need to stretch first?"

"Yeah, I'll go find the backup dancers," Ana said, and she walked off set to find the two women who were meant to dance with her.

"Christian, you can change back into your normal clothes now," Madelyn said, and Christian looked over at her. "Thanks again for doing this - you really saved our necks with this one."

"No problem," Christian smiled before turning to head back to wardrobe. His raging hard-on had by no means dissipated, and he doubted it would go away anytime soon.

 _Fuck, I really need to get laid_.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! If you did, please review :)**

 **If you'd like to see Anastasia's dance routine, make sure you check out my Pinterest board at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	7. Warm Bodies

**A/N: Thank you all for you reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Warm Bodies**

The next couple days after Anastasia's music video shoot were as normal to be expected, but Christian couldn't deny he felt a bit weird being around Ana after that. She had thanked him several times that day for being a good sport and filling in for the missing model at the last minute, but she never addressed the fact that the two of them had almost ended up making out in front of the camera. Christian supposed it shouldn't have been that big a deal… she had asked him to do it, after all, so it wasn't like what they did was wrong or inappropriate. Besides, Ana was a world-famous pop singer who often showed off her body in a provocative and sexual manner, whether it be for music videos or photo shoots. This type of thing was probably a normal occurrence for her.

It was now a rainy Sunday afternoon, and Anastasia was upstairs working in her office. Christian currently sat at the breakfast counter, typing away at his Macbook - he had transcribed almost all of Carla's binder of scheduled events into his computer for easier access. Through his online Google Calendar, he would be able to update the schedule easier and check it on his phone when he was out and about instead of lugging a huge binder around everywhere. This was definitely much easier.

Christian heard a soft padding sound on the kitchen floor, and a moment later Agatha, Ana's cat, hopped up onto the breakfast bar, staring up at him with wide guileless eyes. She meowed quietly at him, and Christian smiled.

"Hey there, girl," he said, reaching forward to pet her, scratching her behind the ear. Agatha purred contentedly. "Are you hungry?"

"She shouldn't be, I just fed her an hour ago," Ana now walked into the kitchen, smiling as her eyes fell on her cat. She sat at the breakfast bar across from Christian, and Agatha trotted over to her before nuzzling against her chest. Ana giggled as she scratched behind her ear.

"I think she just wants attention," Christian smirked, turning back to his computer.

"What else is new?" Ana smiled as Agatha lay down on her back, exposing her furry belly, and Ana rubbed it.

"Did you need to head out somewhere right now?" Christian asked.

"No, I just came downstairs to grab a drink," Ana said, getting up and walking over to the fridge. "But I also wanted to let you know that tomorrow night at around nine Colton and I are going to his production's wrap party. He just finished up his new movie _Rushwell 2_ and the whole cast and crew are going out to that new nightclub in the city called Warm Bodies. You're going to have to escort us there and provide security and everything."

"Okay, no problem," Christian said, turning back to his laptop. "I'll put it in your schedule."

"Great. And I should apologize in advance - the club's apparently going to be one of those dark, crowded places with neon strobe lights and loud music," Ana said, coming back to the breakfast bar with a can of diet Pepsi. "It'll probably be difficult for you to keep an eye on things."

"I'll do my best," Christian chuckled, typing away on his computer.

"Oh, did you transfer Carla's schedule binder to the computer?" Ana asked, looking pleased. "Thank God, I hate that giant thing. I don't understand why she doesn't want to put our schedule onto the computer like the rest of the modern world does."

"She's probably just worried about your information getting hacked, which is always a concern with computers," Christian explained. " But don't worry, I have encryption software and I used code names in place of proper names when I transcribed your information, so in the off-chance someone does see the schedule, no one should be able to tell this is yours. I've covered all my bases."

"Great job, Christian. You're taking private security to whole new level," Ana smirked, and Christian chuckled. "That's why I hired you. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"How do you like this job, by the way?" Ana asked, cracking open her can of soda before taking a sip. "I'm not giving you a performance review or anything, I'm just curious. I know your company always did short-term security jobs for special events, but not much in terms of CPO work."

"I'd actually done private security before," Christian said. "And it's definitely different than other types of security jobs I did, but I can't say I don't enjoy it. It's nice getting paid to go around to new and interesting places everyday - and of course having free food and a place to sleep at night."

"Man, you're living the dream," Ana smirked, and Christian chuckled. "But what about your social life? I'm sure you have friends or a girlfriend or something - it must be hard to maintain that when you're working 24/7."

"It's not too bad with my friends, but I haven't had a girlfriend in about a year. There isn't really anything to maintain in that respect."

"Wow, a year?" Ana asked, looking almost taken aback at that information. Her eyes glanced over Christian's body for a second or two before she shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I kind of find that hard to believe."

"Well it's true," Christian said, glancing up at her and smiling ruefully. "Once someone you truly care about decides to cheat on you, you're kind of reluctant to get back in the game."

Ana gazed at him sadly. "Oh. I'm sorry Christian - that's awful. I'm sure you'll meet someone soon, though."

"Maybe," Christian said. The truth was that he wasn't really that interested in pursuing a relationship with anyone at the moment. He wanted to feel a connection with the next girl he was with, and the last time he had felt that kind of connection was a few days ago with the girl sitting across from him. He knew nothing was ever going to happen between him and Ana, though, so it was best to just put it out of his mind.

Ana remained silent for a moment or two, looking like she was about to say something before thinking better of it. "I should probably head back to my office and get some more work done," she said, getting to her feet. "I'll see you later, Christian."

"Bye Ana," Christian said, watching her walk away with her can of soda in hand. Agatha hopped off the table and trotted after her mother, disappearing around the corner.

* * *

 **~The following night~**

Ana wasn't joking when she said that this club was going to be difficult from a security standpoint - the whole place contained hundreds of young men and women, all packed together on the dance floor like sardines. The interior was all black and lit only by neon blue lights along the ceiling and floor molding, giving everything around them an almost ethereal glow. The DJ booth up on the front stage was a huge setup with dozens of blue and purple neon lights, and Steve Aoki himself was there with a pair of headphones on, blasting his hit song _Delirious_ as people danced and jumped to the beat.

Christian stayed right behind Ana and Colton as they weaved their way through the crowd. Ana was looking gorgeous as ever in a short black club dress with off-the-shoulder three-quarter sleeves and high-heeled strappy heels; her long brown hair had a slightly messy wave to it, giving her that sexy just-fucked look she was clearly aiming for. Colton was wearing his usual graphic t-shirt with a dark leather jacket and a snapback, and he and Ana held hands as they made their way through the club.

"Chase!" Colton waved at someone, and another guy a few yards away looked over and smiled.

"Hey Colton - hey Ana," the guy made his way over to them, shaking Colton's hand. "Can I get you guys a drink?"

"Get Ana a Smirnoff, and I'll have a beer," Colton said over the music. "Is everyone else here?"

"Yeah, we're all over there."

Christian slipped away and walked over to the wall nearby, where a few couples were hanging out away from the crowd. He was able to keep an eye on Anastasia and Colton from over here while staying out of the way, and he tried his best to ignore the drunk couple a few feet away from him making out with each other.

The pulsing beat of EDM music filled the whole club, and strobe lights flashed throughout the area, making it even more difficult for Christian to see properly. He could still make out Ana standing with Colton and some of his castmates all chatting with one another - it was difficult to tell through the flashing lights and the ever-shifting crowd of people, but Ana looked rather bored with her company. After a few minutes, a beautiful woman in a short sequined dress approached them, and Ana seemed to recognize her since they began chatting animatedly together. They soon made their way onto the dance floor, and Colton went over to the bar to get another drink.

"Hey there," a young woman with short hair approached Christian. She was wearing a black tube top and had dark lipstick on as she smiled at him. "Wanna dance?"

"No thank you," Christian said, still gazing over her head toward Ana.

"Come on, big boy," the girl moved closer to him, running a hand up his arm while placing her other hand on his chest. Christian stiffened. "Don't you like to party?"

"No, I don't," Christian said firmly, gently prying her hands off him. "Please keep your hands off me, Miss."

The girl complied, though she stumbled back slightly as if Christian had pushed her. She blinked a few times, and Christian saw her dilated eyes quite clearly in the blue neon light. She was on something… ecstasy, from the looks of it.

She giggled before stepping away from him and shuffling over to a small group of people huddled nearby; they were all clearly trying to hide what they were doing from prying eyes. Christian shook his head in distaste before turning away - he often came across these rich, LA twenty-somethings who liked to party and do recreational drugs. It came as no surprise to him an establishment like this had those types of people in it. His job was to watch over Ana tonight though, so that's what he was going to do.

He was just able to see her in the midst of the crowd, dancing to the beat of the music along with the girl in the sequin dress. She seemed to be having a good time, laughing and dancing with her friend - several people on the dance floor seemed to recognize her and make their way over so they could get a selfie with her. Over by the bar, Colton was entertaining a large group of people, most of whom were laughing uproariously at a story he was telling.

This went on for about two hours or so, until Christian finally saw Ana weave her way out of the crowd toward the restrooms nearby. She passed by Christian on the way, and smiled up at him.

"Hey Christian," she said, stopping in front of him and placing a hand on his arm. Her face was flushed and sweaty from dancing so much, but her smile was bright and happy. "I'm just gonna use the bathroom really quick. I think Colton and I are going to be heading home soon."

"Okay. Take all the time you need," Christian nodded, and Ana walked off.

Christian kept his eye on his surroundings as well as on the bathroom entrance, waiting for when Ana would reemerge. Honestly, he would be thankful to finally leave this establishment and get away from its glaring neon lights and pounding music.

He glanced over toward the bar where he last saw Colton, but he was not longer with his group of friends. He was currently being led away by a girl toward the back wall, both of them grinning and giggling, and soon Colton had her pressed up against the wall, their arms wrapped around each other in a passionate embrace.

"…Hey," Ana finally reappeared from the bathroom, and Christian looked over at her. "Have you seen Colton?"

"Um…" Christian hesitated, and he gestured over to the back wall. Ana glanced over there, and a moment later realized he was standing there making out with another girl.

Her face was stony as she stared over at him, and Christian saw that her breathing had become rather shallow. She was pissed, and Christian wasn't sure what she was about to do - he knew that she and Colton had an open relationship, but when the two of them were out in public they had to appear monogamous. This was definitely a problem.

"Ana," Christian said, reaching for her arm, but she pulled away.

"Excuse me," she said coldly, stalking over to Colton without looking back at Christian.

Christian wanted to follow them, but opted to watch from afar as Ana grabbed Colton's arm and yanked him away from the girl. Colton looked surprised to see her, and the two of them began to have what was clearly a heated argument as the other girl slunk away. Ana seemed to be shouting at Colton while he got angrily defensive; thankfully, the bustling crowd and loud music drowned out their yelling, and no one seemed to notice they were getting into it. After about five minutes or so of arguing, Ana turned around and stormed back over to Christian, still looking pissed.

"Christian, I'd like to leave now," she said to him, her voice shaky from emotion. "Colton's just… he can find his own way home tonight."

"Okay," Christian nodded. Ana took a shaky breath before letting it all out, and Christian took her arm before leading her toward the front doors.

"Wait," she suddenly stopped, looking at something behind them. "I-I think I left my purse in the bathroom. Um… let me go check really quick."

She made her way toward the bathrooms again, and he watched her leave, frowning. Since he was absolutely certain she didn't come into the club with a purse, he wasn't sure why she wanted an excuse to go to the bathroom again.

Feeling concerned, Christian walked over to the hallway leading over to the bathrooms and peered down it. There were several people milling around the narrow corridor, most of them waiting in a line to use the bathrooms, but Ana wasn't in the line for the girl's bathroom. She instead was standing in a back corner with the girl in the tube top who had hit on Christian earlier. She discreetly passed Ana something, and Ana clutched it in her hand before passing over a folded hundred dollar bill.

Christian pulled back before Ana saw him, and a deep sense of anger began building inside of him. He couldn't believe what he had just seen.

A moment later, Ana reemerged from the hallway, and stopped when she noticed Christian standing right there. "Oh, there you are," she said. "I couldn't find my purse, but that's okay. I'm ready to go home now."

Without a word, Christian grasped Ana by her upper arm and pulled her through the crowd of people toward the front entrance. He didn't look back at her as he did so, and he wouldn't have been able to hear her anyway if she protested. But he didn't care - his only focus right now was to get them out of this place as quickly as possible.

They finally stepped out the front doors into the bustling LA evening, where a long line of people were waiting outside the club in front of the bouncer. Ana tried to say something to Christian, but he ignored her as he pulled her roughly to the side away from the crowds, where there was a narrow alley beside the building with a dumpster.

"Wait, Christian - wha…?" Ana stammered as Christian suddenly stopped and turned to her. He grabbed her closed hand and wrenched her fingers open, revealing the small sealed baggie of white powder. Without a word, he took it from her, crushed it in his hand and threw it into the dumpster.

"HEY!" Ana yelled angrily, and quickly stepped away from him. "What the _hell_ , Christian?! You had no right to do that!"

"I had every right," Christian snapped back at her. "My job is to keep you safe, and I can't do that when you do that shit to yourself!"

"What I choose to do to myself is none of your damn business!" Ana snapped back. "I've done it before - it's not that big a deal!"

"Drugs are always a big deal," Christian argued back. "And I won't stand around and watch you do that shit to yourself."

"Are you fucking serious? Back off!" Ana took a step closer and glared at him. "You don't tell me how to run my life, got it? I am your employer, remember."

"I don't care," Christian said firmly, glaring right back at her. There was a moment or two where they just stared at each other angrily, neither of them backing down.

Ana let out an angry breath through her nose before finally stepping away. "We'll talk about this in the morning, Christian," she said in a voice of forced calm. "Right now, I would just like to go home and pretend this night never fucking happened."

With that, she turned around on her heel and stalked away toward where they parked on the street. Christian followed her, trying not to think of whether or not he would still be employed tomorrow.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh the drama! Don't worry, it won't last for very long. But if you still enjoyed this chapter, please review :)**

 **Make sure you check out my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	8. Forgetting

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Forgetting**

Christian barely slept. Too many worries kept him tossing and turning all night long, unable to let him find a moment's rest, but the biggest worry he had was wondering how angry Ana was at him. She hadn't spoken a word to him the whole way home last night, but not before she had promised they would have a talk in the morning about what had happened. Was she really going to fire him for throwing away her drugs? He knew deep down in his heart he had done the right thing, but a part of him doubted Ana would see it that way.

He really wished she had never bought that ecstasy in the first place. As much as he hated drugs, a part of him understood why Ana bought them in the first place - she was rich and famous, and had already confessed to Christian that she felt very isolated and alone. The stresses of being someone like her could easily get to be too much, and especially now that she had caught her famous boyfriend making out with another woman in public, where anyone could have seen them. If a tabloid like TMZ had picked up on something like that, it would be news by tomorrow morning.

And it probably wasn't helped by the fact he and Ana got in a yelling match outside, where anyone could have heard them. He was as good as gone.

Did he regret doing what he did though? Honestly, no - drugs were a hard limit for him, and he refused to let someone he was responsible for do that to themselves. If it ended up costing him this job, then so be it. He just needed to figure out a way to explain it to Taylor.

Finally morning came, and Christian got dressed for his and Ana's daily workout, though he didn't know if it was even happening today. When he went downstairs, Ana was already in the kitchen and blending up her usual breakfast smoothie.

She glanced over at Christian. "Good morning," she said, turning back to the blender. "I would like to go for a run this morning, if that's okay."

"Sure," Christian said, watching as she picked up the pitcher and poured out two glasses of the smoothie mixture.

"Also, my mother's coming over in a couple hours," Ana went on. "So is Colton and his manager. We're all going to be in my office for awhile, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't interrupt us."

"Okay."

She walked over to Christian with both smoothie glasses and handed him one. Christian accepted it, looking at Ana's face - there was an unreadable mask there, and Christian really didn't know what to say or do. "We'll leave in ten minutes," she said simply, stepping past him and heading toward the lounge area.

Christian didn't respond, and Ana didn't wait for him to say anything as she walked away. He supposed she was still angry about last night, and he decided not to push it to much this morning. He drank down his smoothie before starting to stretch his hamstrings.

~/~

After they finished their run together around the neighborhood, they got back to the house. Right away they saw Carla sitting at the breakfast counter along with Colton and a handsome black gentleman in a suit Christian supposed was Colton's manager.

"Anastasia, darling," Carla said, getting up from her seat. She walked forward and kissed her daughter on the cheek in greeting. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Ana said, glancing over at Colton. He met her gaze, not giving her so much as a smile as he glanced down at the floor. "I'm going to go change out of my workout clothes, and then we can get started."

"Alright. Take your time darling," Carla nodded.

Ana made her way upstairs toward her room, and Christian went to his own bedroom to take a quick shower and wash off the sweat from their run. Since it sounded like he wasn't going anywhere today, he decided to change into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve t-shirt rather than his usual suit and button-down shirt. Just as he finished getting dressed, he heard a group of people walking up the stairs and going into Ana's office, shutting the door behind them. Christian peeked out his door to make sure the coast was clear before grabbing his laptop and heading downstairs.

He knew he should stay out of Ana's way today, but he didn't really want to be confined to his bedroom. He decided to make his way toward the back patio, where there were a table and chairs near the pool that overlooked the whole property. It was a beautiful sunny day out today, and Christian couldn't help but bask in the beauty of his surroundings - the house sat on a tall grassy hill with palm trees all around, and in the distance below was the rest of Beverly Hills. Christian walked over and sat in one of the Adirondack chairs beside the pool and patio table, taking in the view.

It very well might be the last time he saw it, so he might as well enjoy it.

He honestly liked staying at this house and working for Anastasia, and truthfully he would miss this job if he were to end up losing it… that was, if Anastasia was still thinking about firing him for their argument last night, which she probably was. A part of him wished she would finally just come out and fire him already so he would stop wondering.

Trying to push it out of his mind, he opened up his Macbook and started to get some work done. He had a few emails in his inbox from Taylor that he could respond to, so he began working on those. He quickly became wrapped up in his work, and the sun continued to rise over the city. By noon the clear sky and bright sunlight had become brighter than ever, and thankfully Christian was sitting underneath a patio umbrella so he was somewhat protected from the sun's rays.

"Hey, there you are."

Christian glanced up to see Ana walk out onto the patio, now all by herself. She had changed out of her workout clothes and into a rosy pink summer romper with a pretty flower pattern; she walked forward and sat down in the chair adjacent to Christian, gazing out toward the pool. "It's a nice day out today," she noted.

"Yeah. That's why I came out here," Christian said, turning his gaze toward the pool too.

There was a brief silence between the two; Ana didn't say anything for a moment as she glanced down at her hands, picking at her manicured nails. "Colton and I officially broke up," she finally said.

Christian looked over at her, but she didn't meet his gaze. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely.

She shrugged. "It was bound to happen eventually. He really screwed up, making out with another girl when he was on a date with me. He's lucky no one took a picture of him doing it, otherwise the story would've been everywhere. I can't really trust him to give the appearance of being monogamous to me, however, so he and I are officially broken up now. That's why Carla and his manager were here today - we needed to come up with a cover story and coordinate what we were going to tell the press."

Christian nodded, having already figured that's what they were there for. "So is it going to be in the news?"

"Yeah. Carla just leaked the story, so it should be in the news by tonight. Tomorrow at the latest," Ana said. "I'm just going to hang out at home for the rest of the day and wait it out."

She hesitated another moment before leaning forward and placing her elbows on the patio table, clearly gearing herself to talk about something important. "Look Christian," she began, gazing at him. "About what happened last night…"

She paused again, and Christian simply looked at her. "I… was in a vulnerable state last night and I made a stupid decision. I forced you into a position that you didn't want to be in, and for that I'm sorry."

She looked up at him again. "I think you're a good CPO Christian, and I'm glad that I hired you. But that being said, I didn't hire you so you could babysit me and to tell me what decisions I should or shouldn't make. I hired you to do one job, and that is to protect me - nothing more. You don't get to say what I should or shouldn't put in my body - it's none of your business. Understand?"

Christian didn't say anything, but Ana didn't seem to expect an answer. "I know you were probably worried about whether or not I was going to fire you," she went on. "But rest assured you've still got a job with me so long as you understand there are boundaries. I'm still your employer, and you need to respect me as such."

She spoke with a firm voice, looking right at Christian as she did so, and Christian felt he had no choice but to accept. "Fair enough," he said quietly.

Ana nodded, getting to her feet. There was an unreadable expression on her face, but she didn't say anything more as she began to make her way toward the patio door. Christian felt his heart pounding in his throat, and he didn't so much as glance back at her as he spoke out loud:

"…But if I see you doing drugs again, I'll quit."

He heard her pause at the doorway, not saying a word, before she suddenly marched back over to Christian at the patio table, glaring at him. "What the hell is the matter with you?" she hissed, keeping her voice low in case someone overheard them. "Did you not hear anything I just said? What I choose to do with my own life is none of your damn business!"

"It is my damn business if you're putting yourself in danger," Christian snapped back, staring defiantly up at her. "I'm sorry, but I'm not going to budge on this. If I see you doing drugs, I'm quitting - effective immediately."

Ana huffed, crossing her arms too while glaring at him. "What is your problem, huh? Just because you think you're better than me doesn't give you the right to tell me how to run my life! How fucking dare you stand up on your high horse and talk as if you know better than me."

Christian now got to his feet, facing Ana head-on; he was at least a foot taller than her, but she still glared up at him with defiance. He wasn't about to back down, though. "I'm not saying this because I think I'm better than you - I'm simply telling you the truth. Drugs will fuck up your life, whether you're taking them for fun, or if you're trying to forget about your problems. They are _never_ something to be taken lightly. Trust me, I would know."

Ana's frown faltered slightly, and she uncrossed her arms, gazing up at him with a mixture of surprise and wariness. She didn't say anything.

"I was adopted by the Grey's when I was four years old," Christian explained. "My life didn't start in Burbank - I was actually born in Detroit and my birth mother was a heroin addict. She paid for her addiction by prostituting herself to strange men who would come to our apartment and beat the shit out of me. The money that should have gone to rent or groceries all went to drugs. It got so bad sometimes that we would go for days without eating, and my mom would just lie around on the living room floor with a needle in her arm getting high as a kite. And then one day she didn't wake up, and I spent four days alone with her dead body before the police came and found us."

Ana had gone sickly pale as she listened to him speak. Christian knew the story of his early years wasn't an easy one to listen to, but Ana needed to understand him when he said he wouldn't tolerate her doing drugs.

"I realize that my experience with my mother isn't the same as your situation, but that doesn't matter. The reasons why people do drugs is the problem. The bad decisions people make because of life's struggles are what lead to problems like addiction… it took a long time for me to accept that about my birth mother. You've confided to me about how you've been feeling Ana, which is why I can't stand by and let you do something to yourself that's going to do nothing but hurt you."

Ana didn't say anything for a moment or two, still staring up at Christian. She seemed to be struggling with something internally before she finally uncrossed her arms, looking down at the ground. "You're right," she said quietly. "I've been an idiot."

Christian frowned, feeling suddenly guilty. "No Ana, that's not -"

"I have been," Ana insisted, moving to sit back down at the table, and Christian sat down next to her. "You're right - the old me, the girl who grew up in Seattle, would never have been so stupid as to do something like ecstasy. I've been living in LA for so long and it's so common here, especially in the night life, that it just stopped seeming like that big a deal. I've only done drugs a couple times before in the past, but that's no excuse. I'm sorry, Christian."

"You don't have to apologize to me, Ana," Christian said sincerely. "I get that people make stupid mistakes sometimes. If I'm being completely honest, I think you're an amazing person, and I'd hate to see you lose who you are to something as horrible and destructive as drugs."

Ana looked surprised and a bit flattered Christian described her in such a manner. "You really think that about me?"

Christian couldn't help but smile. "I do. I hope you don't mind my saying so, I know I've only been working here for about a month..."

"No, it's fine," Ana smiled back, and Christian could swear she was blushing slightly. "That's very sweet of you to say, Christian. Now I'm glad I didn't fire you."

Christian laughed. "I'm glad too."

They both smiled for a moment or two before their smiles faded. "But seriously though," Ana went on after a moment, and Christian looked at her again. "I'm done with drugs. It was a stupid lapse of judgement that made me try them in the first place, and I won't risk my life or career any longer by becoming addicted. You don't have to worry about me taking them anymore."

She sounded sincere in her proclamation, and deep down in his heart Christian knew he could trust her. "Good."

Ana smiled before getting to her feet, and she bit her lip as she gazed at Christian. "If it's worth anything… I think you're an amazing person too, Christian. Especially considering where you started out in life... you turned out to be pretty exceptional."

Before Christian could say anything, Ana reached forward and squeezed his shoulder gently. She didn't say anything as she turned and walked away toward the patio door, and Christian didn't look back at her, though he couldn't help but feel tingles where she had touched him.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, Ana works on some songs for her new album.**

 **Make sure you check out my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	9. Silly Love Songs

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews and support! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Silly Love Songs**

 _ ****POP SINGER ANASTASIA SPLITS FROM BOYFRIEND COLTON WEST****_

" _ **Colt-astasias" everywhere are devastated!**_

 _Yesterday afternoon, representatives of pop singer Anastasia have announced that she and A-list actor Colton West have officially broken up. Fans of the couple are shocked and saddened by the news, stating that there had been no previous signs showing the two of them were going through a rough patch. Perhaps something behind-the-scenes caused the two lovebirds to finally call it quits? Hopefully, more details will come out soon._

Many news segments came out over the next few days about Colton and Anastasia - so many in fact that Christian felt worried the story would start spinning out of control. But Ana was confident that all of this was going according to plan, and that the media attention was going to die down in a matter of weeks. The only downside of all this was the sheer amount of paparazzi now following Ana around the city whenever she was going somewhere. It was becoming increasingly unbearable, and Christian's job got about ten times harder as he tried to get Ana to her various destinations.

"This is just obnoxious," Ana frowned as she gazed out the window from the backseat of the SUV. Christian was trying to pull out of the parking lot of a photoshoot she had just done for FitTea, but he was having difficulty navigating around the dozens of paparazzi swarming around the car, trying to snap pictures through the tinted windows while shouting questions at Anastasia.

" _Anastasia! Why did you and Colton West break up?_ " one guy shouted, knocking on the left side of the car.

" _Did Colton cheat on you Anastasia?_ " another one shouted through the rear window.

" _Anastasia! Over here!_ "

"You'd think they have better things to do with their time than shout questions through a moving car," Ana grimaced, furrowing her brow as Christian slowly pulled the car forward, forcing some of the papz in front of the car to budge out of the way.

"Their interest in you is peaking right now, but it'll go down soon," Carla said, gazing out the window before turning to look down at her phone. "Although we should definitely take advantage of the increased media attention while we still can."

"I can't really see all these paparazzi as being a good thing," Ana said sardonically, watching the camera men and women swarming around the car. "But I'll take your word for it."

"You've got the Fatal Attraction music video coming out soon, darling," Carla insisted, smiling over at her daughter. "And we're about to meet with Trey and Max about the music for your upcoming album. This break-up between you and Colton is sure to drum up interest in your music amongst the general public."

"Yeah I suppose so," Ana shrugged. Christian finally was able to get the car away from the paparazzi and pull onto the busy LA street. "Think we could grab a bite to eat before we meet with the label?"

"I don't think so, we're cutting it a bit close already," Carla said, checking her silver dial Rolex watch. "Maybe Christian can run out and grab something while we're in the meeting?"

"Or we can order a pizza," Ana said eagerly, quickly typing something on her phone. "Pepperoni sounds amazing right now."

Carla gave Ana a strange look. "You want pizza? That's very fattening sweetheart, you're going to ruin your figure."

"I can have a cheat day once in awhile," Ana shrugged. "I feel like having pizza today."

"I don't know what's gotten into you, Ana. You've been very smiley and happy for the past few days," Carla said incredulously. "You decided to break up with Colton, and now all of a sudden you're smiling and happy and talking about ordering a pizza at a business meeting."

Ana giggled. "I don't know why I'm so happy - I guess I just feel free now. I was kind of tired of being in that fake relationship with Colton for so long. It's nice to kind of be able to do my own thing now without pretending like I'm in love."

"I really wish you'd stop calling it a 'fake relationship' darling," Carla shook her head, turning back to her phone. "You and Colton were good together."

"We _looked_ good together, but that was about it," Ana said firmly. "Trust me, Colton and I splitting up was for the best."

"Whatever you say darling. Frankly, I think all this media attention is going to do a world of good for your image."

Ana didn't respond, and the rest of the ride was silent as Christian drove them through the city toward their destination. After about five minutes, he pulled into the parking lot of Lioness Records, Anastasia's record label. This location was a huge sprawling corporate building with a huge fountain out front with a walkway leading up to a multi-story front door archway. Since Anastasia was one of Lioness Records' most important clients, Christian was able to park in the VIP section up near the front door.

"Thank you Christian," Ana smiled brightly at Christian as he opened the car door for her and Carla; he held out his hand to help her out of her seat, and Christian smiled back at her.

"My pleasure, Ana."

Christian and Ana's relationship had changed a bit since their talk a few days ago - while they had always been rather friendly toward one another, they seemed to have gotten a bit more comfortable in each other's presence than they had ever been before. Christian's personal confession about his birth mother and his humble beginnings in Detroit seemed to create a bond between him and Ana, cementing their relationship as more like friends rather than employer and employee. It was a nice change, and Christian honestly didn't mind it.

"Sorry, I'm gonna make you pick up my pizza for me," Ana grinned cheekily at Christian as they walked together behind Carla.

"Can I at least get a slice?" Christian joked.

"Hm, we'll see," Ana said evasively, and she and Christian both laughed.

The three of them walked through the lobby and into one of the elevators, which took them up to the top floor of the building. The whole area consisted of beautiful shiny marble floors and walls made of floor-to-ceiling glass windows. They passed by multiple glass-walled conference rooms until they made it to the end of the hallway, where a tall good-looking man stepped out through the door.

"Anastasia - Carla. How are my two favorite clients?" he asked jovially, and the women laughed as he kissed their cheeks in greeting.

"We're wonderful Max," Carla smiled. "Definitely ready to hash out the details for Ana's next album."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Max said, grinning. "Trey's already here - we can all get started."

They all entered the room, and sitting at the table was a young man Christian recognized as Ana's agent Trey. Max, Carla, and Anastasia all took a seat near him, and Christian stood sentinel by the closed door. Unless Anastasia specifically asked Christian to not be in the room, he had to stay near her at all times.

Max began to discuss Ana's next album, which was being planned to drop sometime next year after her world tour was finished. He began to go into various projections and demographics, and explained to her and Carla some of the marketing and distribution they were planning on doing in the coming months. It was all a lot of business talk that went over Christian's head, so he ended up just tuning it out for the most part. Halfway through the meeting, Anastasia's pizza had arrived, and Christian, as promised, ran to get it for her. He placed it in the middle of the table for everyone to partake in, but only Ana grabbed a slice.

"…So yeah, I'd say in about six months' time we can get the ball rolling on writing your next album," Max finished, smiling at Ana and straightening the stack of papers in front of him. "We've got an excellent team of writers who've made some great new catchy tunes that the 'Fanastasias' are sure to love."

"Oh, I was actually thinking I could write the music myself this time around," Ana said, munching on her pizza. Carla and Trey looked at her in surprise.

"Darling, you haven't written your own songs in years," Carla stated.

"Yeah, and you might not have time to so. Especially if it's being dropped right after your world tour," Trey agreed.

"Well I can start writing now before my tour starts," Ana said fairly. "I've already gotten a few ideas for new music anyway. I kind of want this next album to go in a more personal direction."

"I love it," Max said with a grin. "That's exactly what we like to hear! So what were you thinking, Ana?"

"Well, my past music has been all about partying and sex, since that all fit with my public image, but none of my music was about anything real or substantial," Ana explained. "I was thinking this next album could be more about love and relationships."

Max raised his eyebrows, running his hand over his chin thoughtfully. "An album about love… not very original, I admit, but it is sincere. Especially since you're going to be writing the music yourself."

"I've already come up with a bunch of ideas for new love songs," Ana insisted with a bright smile. "We could have full instrumentals on them if you'd like, but a few I was thinking could be more acoustic, to sort of give it a more gentle and personal feel…"

For the next twenty minutes or so, Ana and Max continued to talk about her ideas for the album - Ana sounded enthusiastic, more so than Christian had ever heard her when she was discussing her music. Max seemed happy that Ana was on board for this, and Carla and Trey were preoccupied with how all of this would work around Ana's schedule with her upcoming tour. By the end of the meeting, they agreed Ana would get a few songs written and sent over to Lioness Records within the next few weeks.

"We'll talk to you soon, Anastasia. I'm very excited to see what you make for us," Max smiled as they all stood up. He shook Ana's hand, and Ana grinned at him.

"I'm excited too," she said. "I'll talk to you later."

They all said their goodbyes to each other before Carla and Ana left together, Christian following up behind. He could have sworn he saw Ana practically skipping as she made her way toward the elevators.

* * *

The rest of the day Ana spent at home locked up in her bedroom with a guitar. Christian could hear her from his own room, strumming away different notes while humming different melodies. He couldn't help but listen to the songs Ana was writing, enjoying listening to her in her element - obviously this was her passion, and it made him glad to know she was doing something that made her so happy.

At around three o'clock that day, Ana still hadn't come out of her bedroom, and Christian went downstairs to make himself something to eat. He had forgotten to eat lunch that day, and since Ana had already eaten at the meeting, she probably wasn't going to be stopping anytime soon.

As Christian began rummaging through the fridge, he heard someone enter the kitchen; he looked up and noticed Vivian, Anastasia's assistant, enter the kitchen while texting on her phone.

"Hi Vivian," Christian greeted her, pulling out a container of leftover pasta salad Tom had made the night before.

"Oh, hey Christian," Vivian said, glancing up at him. She sat down at the breakfast bar and set her phone down. "How's it going?"

"Pretty good. Aside from Ana's meeting with the label this morning, I haven't really had much to do today," Christian said, spooning some of the pasta salad onto a plate.

"Tell me about it. Ana and I were supposed to coordinate her schedule for her appearance on The Tonight Show next week, but she hasn't come downstairs all day," Vivian said disparagingly, glancing toward the staircase. "Is she just going to be locked up in her room strumming a guitar all day long?"

"I wouldn't be surprised. She seemed really excited to be writing music again," Christian smiled. "We should just sit back and enjoy not having to work for a few hours."

"I hear that," Vivian giggled. "Wanna sneak a bottle of tequila from the wet bar and hang out by the pool?"

"Seriously?" Christian asked amusedly, and Vivian nodded with a grin. "Sorry, I think I'll pass. You go ahead though."

"Eh… it's kind of boring drinking alone," Vivian shrugged, glancing toward the back patio. After a moment she looked back over at Christian, her eyes suddenly hooded. "If you want, we can just go up to your bedroom and have sex."

Christian, who had taken a bite of pasta salad, immediately began choking on it. "Uh-um, I'm sorry - what?" he asked, coughing.

Vivian gazed at him, an amused smirk on her face. "Don't act so prudish. I know that every guy in the world would love to have a no-strings-attached fuck buddy to fool around with."

Christian picked up his water bottle and took a sip, trying to ease his coughing. "Wow, um…" he brought his water down, clearing his throat. "I-I don't know what to say to that."

"Look, I get it," Vivian said quickly. "You're new to this job, and it's kind of weird for me to proposition you like this. But the truth is when you work for someone like Anastasia you really don't get to have much of a social life. Quick hookups and one night stands are kind of our only option if we want to let off a little steam. Since I'm unattached, and I'm not looking for anything more than just sex, I just thought you and I could have a little fun since we're kind of in the same boat." She smiled coquettishly. "So what do you say?"

Christian really didn't know _what_ to say to that. He and Vivian rarely interacted since most of the time they spent together was with Ana in public, so this was a strange situation for him to be in. Vivian was by no means unattractive - her long blonde hair and cute petite figure was sure to draw any man's eye - but he couldn't see himself getting intimate with her, even if it was no strings attached.

"Look Vivian, I'm… flattered," Christian hesitated. "Really. But I've never been one to do the whole 'random hookup' thing. I'm sorry, but it's not something I ever see myself doing."

"Okay," Vivian nodded, holding up her hand. "That's totally fine. If you ever change your mind though, I'll be available."

She sounded completely cool and casual, and Christian was rather surprised. How was she able to separate sex from emotion so easily? Christian almost wanted to apologize for rejecting her, but she seemed completely fine… this all felt a bit out of Christian's grasp.

 _Am I going to get this casual about sex if I work here long enough?_

Before either of them could say anything, Ana came hurrying down the stairs. She had changed out of her day clothes and was currently wearing comfy leggings and a tank top, her long brown hair thrown up in a bun, while an acoustic guitar on a strap was slung over her shoulder. She smiled when she noticed Christian and Vivian in the kitchen.

"Hey guys," she greeted them before walking over to Christian and grasping his arm. "Christian, come with me. I want to show you something."

"Why can't you just tell me?" Christian asked, amused. "I'm trying to eat here."

"I wrote something and I want you to listen to the melody," Ana insisted with a giggle, tugging his arm. "And the acoustics in here are terrible. You have to come up to my room to listen."

"All the way up on the third floor? Is it even worth it to climb all those steps?"

"If you've heard my music before, then yes. Now move your butt," Ana said firmly, pulling on his arm so she'd follow him upstairs. Christian reluctantly allowed her to pull him toward the staircase, chuckling as she did so.

Neither of them noticed Vivian as she turned back toward the breakfast bar, picking up her cell phone again. "Shoulda known," she muttered to herself, thumbing through her contacts.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, Ana finally decides to contact her father.**

 **I'm going to be out of town this weekend for a wedding :) I won't be writing while I'm gone, so there might be a longer delay before the next chapter. Thank you all for understanding!**

 **Make sure you follow my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	10. Real Connections

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Please enjoy this next chapter :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Real Connections**

 **~New York City~**

"And now introducing… _Étouffant_ by Anastasia!"

Cameras flashed from every direction as Anastasia stood in the center of the packed Dior store inside Saks Fifth Avenue, posing beside the brand new display of _Étouffant_ perfume. Over a dozen bottles were placed strategically along a white circular shelf along with a beautiful sign showing off the Dior insignia. Anastasia herself stood beside the display wearing an ultra-stylish light blue Prada mini dress that had a large bow on the left shoulder. Her long hair was pulled back in a slick bun while her eyes were lined with dark kohl and smokey eyeshadow, giving her the sultry sexy look she pulled off so well. She posed beside the perfume sign with one hand on her hip, a smile on her beautiful face as the cameras continued to flash and click noisily.

"Thank you all so much for coming to the debut of our brand new perfume, _Étouffant_!" the organizer of the event, a bald bespectacled man named Sven, announced to the crowd of reporters and photographers. "Anastasia and I are delighted to have you all here - please, feel free to browse our store or ask any questions you may have about our new product."

The crowds of people began to converge on Anastasia, their voices overlapping as they shouted questions at her and Sven. Ana was kind enough to spend the next few minutes talking to the reporters, signing a few autographs and taking some pictures with her fans. She was finally able to make her way through the crowd toward Christian, who was standing tall and sentinel near the front door with the rest of the store's security personnel.

"I'd like to get out of here," she said, leaning up to speak in his ear.

Obediently, Christian placed his hand on her lower back and steered her through the crowd toward the backroom, where they could slip out the door to where their car was parked. Several people tried to stop them to talk to Ana or get a picture with her, but Christian was able to push through and get them to the back of the room relatively quickly.

They snuck out the back and Christian led them to the town car they had rented for their trip. He opened the car door for her and she slipped inside before he closed it behind her and went to sit in the driver's seat.

"Thanks Christian," Ana said as he started the ignition and pulled the car out of the back lot and onto the busy street. She sighed before leaning back against the headrest, closing her eyes. "God, this whole day has been exhausting."

Christian glanced at her in his rearview mirror. "Did you want to stop somewhere before we go back to the hotel? Maybe grab a bite to eat?"

"No, I'll just order room service," Ana said, gazing out the window. She didn't say anything after that, and Christian continued to drive through the streets of New York toward their hotel in silence.

"I usually enjoy events like this," Ana said after a few moments. Christian looked at her again, and she was gazing mindlessly out the window. She let out a small humorless chuckle. "New York is an amazing city, and I always love coming here to be surrounded by all the latest fashion trends. I don't really know what's wrong with me today."

"Everybody has bad days sometimes," Christian said fairly.

"I guess so," Ana said, though she sounded doubtful. She was silent for a another moment or two. "All those reporters back there kept asking me about my breakup with Colton. That's all any of these people ask me about lately."

Christian didn't say anything. He couldn't really decipher her tone of voice - was she sad, upset, or angry about it? She'd been rather tight-lipped about her personal feelings regarding her breakup with Colton, so for all he knew she could very well be utterly heartbroken about leaving him.

The thought didn't really sit well with him.

"We're going back to LA tonight, right?" Ana suddenly asked.

"Yeah, the jet leaves around ten," Christian confirmed.

"Good… when I get home, I think I'm going to Skype with my dad," she said, fiddling with the hem of her dress.

Christian raised his eyebrows, glancing at her in the rearview mirror again. "Really?"

Ana nodded, staring down at her knotted fingers. "I'd been thinking about talking to him since you and I had that conversation in the fitness room a few weeks ago. Since everything that happened with Colton recently, and the whole media circus, I kind of feel like I want to talk to him. I just… I don't know…"

She trailed off awkwardly, but Christian couldn't help but smile. "That's a great idea, Ana. I think he'd love to hear from you."

A small smile spread across Ana's face. "You think so?"

"Definitely," Christian smiled back. "Do you want me to rearrange your schedule tomorrow morning so you can call him once we're back in LA?"

"Yeah, that sounds good," Ana nodded, and Christian saw her turn her gaze back out the window, a small smile still playing on her lips. Christian couldn't help but smile too at the prospect of Ana talking to her father again - her being happy made him happy.

* * *

 **~Los Angeles~**

Christian and Ana flew back to LA late that night and arrived back home at around 3 o'clock in the morning. They managed to get a few hours of sleep before they got up and did their usual morning workout in the fitness room; once they were finished, Ana told Christian she was going to be in her office for the next few hours and asked not to be disturbed. Christian understood this to mean she wanted privacy when calling up her dad, and he agreed not to bother her.

Since Ana wasn't going anywhere this morning, Christian decided to take some time to update the schedule and write up a progress report for Taylor. While Taylor usually was a good sport and trusted Christian when he was on a job, Christian felt it was a good idea to at least send him occasional updates and reports of the work he was doing. He knew that Taylor wanted to highlight Christian's work with Anastasia as a means to market Taylor-Jones Security for future jobs, so it was important for Christian to provide him with details of the work he was doing.

Christian typed away at his computer, and before he knew it, over two hours had passed without him hearing a word from Anastasia. He didn't want to bother her, but he was also very curious as to how her call with her dad had gone. Resolving himself, Christian slipped out of his room and walked down to the second floor where Ana's office was:

"…I really like your new buzzcut, Daddy. I think it suits you," Ana giggled from inside her office, the door ajar.

"Thank you, Pumpkin. I'm glad you like it," a man's voice chuckled. Christian peered inside and noticed a handsome older gentleman on Anastasia's computer screen. "It's much easier to take care of than that shaggy mess I used to have."

"Oh, your hair wasn't that long. Especially when you compare it to mine."

"Well, you could always get a buzzcut too, Pumpkin. I've actually seen girls your age do that trendy partial side shave thing to their heads."

"It's called a side undercut, Daddy. But I don't think I'd do that anytime soon… I'd go blonde before I shave off a whole chunk of my hair."

Ray glanced past Ana toward Christian. "Hey, who's that?"

Before Christian could sneak away, Ana had turned around in her seat and noticed him standing there. He smiled before giving a small wave, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"Oh, that's just Christian," Ana said to her father, turning back to the computer. "He's my personal security. Anywhere I go in public, he comes with me for protection."

"That's good," Ray said approvingly before looking over at Christian again. "Taking care of my little girl, are you Christian?"

"Yes sir," Christian smiled at him politely.

"Daddy, stop it," Ana chided her father good-naturedly. "I wouldn't have hired Christian if he wasn't good at his job."

"I know darling. I just want him to understand how important it is to me that he keeps you safe," Ray smiled, and Ana giggled.

"Well that's very sweet of you, Daddy, but he does do a good job, so you can relax."

Ana looked happier than Christian had ever seen her before, and he knew it was because she was speaking with her father again after such a long time. He didn't want to intrude on their time together any longer. "I apologize for bothering you. I'll leave you guys to it."

"It's no bother Christian, but thanks for checking up on me," Ana smiled at him before turning back to her father. Christian silently closed the door to the office, smiling to himself.

Christian went about the rest of his day without seeing Ana emerge from her office. He was happy she was reconnecting with her father, but he did feel rather bored without having any work to do - Ana was actually supposed to have a meeting this afternoon with a music video producer out in West Hollywood, but Vivian had to reschedule it for her. Tom the chef cooked dinner for everyone in the household like he usually did, but he ended up bringing a plate of chicken parm and Caesar salad to Anastasia for her to eat in her office while she continued to chat with her dad.

Christian spent the rest of the afternoon in his bedroom, getting some work done on his laptop while watching the Lakers game on TV. His mind couldn't help but dwell on Anastasia… he wanted to hear how her talk with Ray went. She sounded happy to be reconnecting with him, which made Christian happy too.

If there was one thing Christian felt Ana truly deserved, it was to be happy.

It was evening now, and the Lakers game was over and done with. Christian decided to step out of his room to check on Anastasia again, but when he went down to her office, it was empty and the lights were off. He decided to go downstairs and look around the house, but after walking through all the rooms on the main floor, he couldn't find her anywhere. Tom and Vivian had both left for the night, so the whole house was practically deserted.

Just as Christian was about to give up looking for her, he noticed light streaming in from the back patio in the living room; Ana was sitting alone on the padded bench overlooking the property, and she was gazing out toward the night sky, clearly deep in thought. Christian hesitantly approached her.

"Hey," he said, stepping out onto the patio, and she glanced over at him.

"Hey," she said, turning to gaze back toward the night sky. She was wearing black leggings and a black Under Armor long-sleeve t-shirt. One knee was tucked up underneath her chin, and she had a faraway look in her eyes as she stared into the distance.

"Is everything okay?" Christian asked hesitantly, walking toward her. He moved to sit down on the bench beside her, and she didn't object.

"Yeah, everything's fine. I was just thinking about today," she said, reaching up to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. "My dad and I talked for a long time… I told him all about my life and my music, and he told what was going on with him. I can't even remember the last time we talked that much."

"That's great," Christian said encouragingly. He couldn't really decipher what she was feeling since her expression was rather unreadable. He supposed she was still trying to work out whatever it was she was feeling.

"He and I agreed we're going to talk to each other everyday from now on," Ana went on, a small smile now forming on her face. "Not for as long as we did today, obviously, but for at least a few minutes every day we'll check in with each other. We're going to make it our new routine."

Christian couldn't help but smile too. "See? I knew your dad wanted to hear from you."

Ana looked over at him, still smiling. "Yeah, you did know. You were the one who convinced me to try to reach out to him again…"

She reached over and took Christian's hand in her own, squeezing gently. "Thank you."

Christian glanced down at their joined hands before looking into Ana's eyes. "You're welcome."

For several minutes, neither of them moved from their spots on the bench as they both turned and gazed off into the distance in silence. Ana still held Christian's hand in her own, their fingers intertwined and resting on the bench space between them; Christian couldn't ignore how nicely her hand fit in his own, and while a part of him knew he should let her go, he didn't want to pull away just yet.

Finally, after several minutes of silence between the two of them, Ana slowly got to her feet, her hand still holding onto Christian's. He thought she was about to pull away, but she only seemed to hold on tighter.

 _Does she want me to stand up too?_

She suddenly turned to look at Christian, her expression unreadable, though there was something else there that Christian hadn't noticed before. She was gazing down at him with her beautiful blue irises glimmering, the moonlight casting shadows across her flawless face.

Christian stared back at her, his heart pounding in his chest.

Slowly, she stepped toward him, still gazing into his eyes while her hand still held onto his own, and Christian stared back at her. Her left knee brushed up against the side of his leg as she placed it on the bench beside him, and in one movement, brought her other leg up around on his other side so she was straddling his lap.

 _Holy shit._

Christian's mind seemed to explode with a million thoughts all at once.

Ana held Christian's gaze as she finally released his hand, and Christian grasped her waist, holding her tight. He felt like he was in a dream as he stared up into her eyes, and his heart continued to pound a furious rhythm against in his chest.

 _Is this really happening?_

Wordlessly, Ana leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. The kiss was soft and sweet, and Christian responded with equal gentleness; his hands moved up to cup her face, his thumbs brushing against her cheeks, and Ana's hands moved to his chest. They continued to kiss, the passion between them gradually building - Christian opened his mouth against hers, and she immediately complied, their tongues tangling in a sensual dance. Christian felt like he couldn't get enough of her… he knew she was technically his boss and they should probably stop before this went any further, but he couldn't help himself.

He'd been fighting his feelings for her for weeks now. He didn't want to fight it anymore.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Ana slowed down their kiss, and a moment later pulled away, panting as she rested her forehead against his. Christian panted for breath too, his arousal straining painfully against his pants.

 _Jesus Christ._

"Do you want to take this upstairs?" Ana breathed, blinking open her eyes and gazing at him.

At a loss for words, Christian could only nod.

Ana got up off his lap and took his hand once again, pulling him to his feet. Christian allowed her to lead him back into the house and toward the staircase - thankfully, no one was around to see them while they made their way upstairs. Christian didn't want to have to explain to anyone else what he and Ana were about to do.

They made it to her bedroom, and Ana closed the door behind them, bathing them in darkness. She then reached over to something off to the side and switched on a nearby lamp, soft ambient light now filling the room. She turned to gaze at Christian once again with a hungry sensual expression, and Christian couldn't help but stare back at her with equal arousal.

The next moment Ana practically lunged for him, attacking his mouth with a fierce passionate kiss. Christian was surprised, but kissed her back with the same fervor; she reached down to tug at the hem of his t-shirt and swiftly pulled it up over his head so his torso was completely bare. Without missing a beat, Ana began kissing him again, running her hands along his abs and pectoral muscles while pressing her entire body up against his. Still with her lips pressed against his, she began moving forward quickly so Christian would start walking backward toward the bed.

Her eager roughness was a bit of a surprise to Christian. Why was she in such a rush to do this? Christian wanted this experience be slow and sensual, not hurried and frantic.

 _I need to slow her down._

They reached the edge of the bed, and before Ana could shove him onto it, Christian grabbed her by the wrists and forced her hands down, bringing them toward her lower back and holding them there. Ana looked surprised, and she gazed up into his eyes, blinking confusedly.

"Wha…?" she whispered, but her voice died in her throat when she caught the look in Christian's eyes. He slowly leaned forward and ran the tip of his nose along hers, and she closed her eyes.

"Slow down," he breathed, moving over to kiss her on the cheek. "There's no rush," me moved up to gently kiss her eyelid. "Tonight's all about you… let me take care of you." He kissed her other eyelid before moving down to skim his lips along the corner of her mouth. "Okay?"

Ana let out a small whimper, her eyes still closed. "Christian, I… I don't…" she stammered, blinking open her eyes.

"Shh," Christian hushed, letting go of her wrists so he could take her in his arms, pulling her close. She didn't push him away. "Tonight's all about you, Ana. Please, let me take care of you. I want to take care of you."

Ana only stared up at him with wonder and arousal, and Christian could tell she had never before had an experience with a guy who had made it all about her. Selfish pricks and stuck-up douchebags like Colton West had probably filled her life for as long as she'd been dating, and Christian had a sudden desire to break that cycle for her. Anastasia was beautiful and sensual and amazing and perfect in every way, and Christian wanted to show her how he truly saw her.

He wanted to make love to her. Real, true, passionate lovemaking that would show her exactly what she had been missing in her life.

Slowly, Christian leaned in and pressed his lips against hers once again, giving her a kiss filled with arousal and so many other emotions he could never convey in words. Ana kissed him back, no longer hurried and frantic, but rather slow and languorous, as if she were enjoying the kiss as much as he was.

"Make love to me Christian," Ana breathed against his lips, and Christian's heart rate went up once again. He couldn't help but smile against her.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that ;) If you did, please review!**

 **Make sure you follow my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasa-pop-princess/**


	11. Capturing Magic

**A/N: I'm so glad you all liked that last chapter :) Hope you all enjoy this one!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Capturing Magic**

 **~The next morning~**

Sunlight filtered in through the bedroom window as Christian slowly roused from his sleep, feeling the softness of the sheets he was currently wrapped up in. A warm body was pressed up against his chest, and he immediately knew that it was Anastasia, her back up against his front. Memories of last night came back to him right away, and a feeling of peace and happiness immediately washed over him, causing him to smile to himself. Christian honestly didn't regret what had happened, but he still didn't feel like facing the real world just yet… he tightened his arms around her soft body, and she responded by snuggling deeper into his embrace, letting out a contented sigh in her sleep. Christian smiled slightly as he pressed his face to the crook of her neck, and slowly began to drift back to sleep.

 _KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_

Someone suddenly pounded loudly on the bedroom door, causing both Ana and Christian to jump awake. Christian's heart hammered from the shock as he bolted upright.

"Ana! Are you awake yet? It's almost ten o'clock!" Carla shouted through the closed door, and a moment later she turned the knob.

"Mom! What the hell? I didn't say you could come in!" Ana snapped, quickly pulling the sheets up over her naked body. Christian tried to duck down underneath the blanket, but it was too late - Carla had already entered the room. She stopped and looked between the two of them before rolling her eyes.

"Good Lord," she muttered under her breath, now moving over to Ana's walk-in closet. "You know, I was going to ask you if you got a workout in this morning Ana, but apparently you already got it last night."

Ana didn't say anything, though she blushed heavily she exchanged an embarrassed glance with Christian.

"Look, I don't care what you guys get up to, just don't let it affect Ana's work," Carla said briskly, now exiting the closet with a pair of skinny jeans, Jimmy Choo heels, and an off-white chenille tank top. "Ana, we have to be in West Hollywood by ten-thirty this morning for you to record those radio spots. We're leaving in fifteen minutes - Vivian will be here in five, and I'll have Tom set aside some breakfast for you before we leave. We can swing by Starbucks on the way there for some coffee if we have time."

Carla laid out Ana's outfit on the foot of the bed before turning and heading back toward the door. "Oh, and Christian," she glanced over her shoulder. "You're driving us there, so I expect you dressed and ready before Ana."

She then turned and walked out of the room before closing the door behind her.

There was a short silence after she left, and Christian couldn't really bring himself to look over at Ana. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

"Wow, um…" Ana said with a small giggle, looking at the clock on her bedside table. "I didn't realize it was so late. I can't remember the last time I slept in till ten o'clock."

She gathered up the sheets over her body and got to her feet, reaching over to grab the outfit Carla had laid out on the bed. "I'm really sorry, but my mom's right. We really do have to leave soon." Without waiting for a response, she hurried into the en suite and closed the door behind her.

"No, yeah - it's fine, I get it," Christian called after her, bringing his hand up and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He brought his feet over the side of the bed and picked up his boxer briefs that he had tossed onto the floor last night, and slipped them on.

"I think I'm going to have to do my makeup on the car ride there," Anastasia opened the bathroom door, now fully dressed and brushing out her long brown hair.

"Why? You don't need it," Christian said honestly, and Ana smiled at him.

"You're sweet," she said, setting the hairbrush down on the bedside table. "But some paparazzi could get a picture of me with no makeup on and send it to a tabloid in an attempt to embarrass me. It's not worth the risk."

"Vultures," Christian said spitefully, and Ana smiled as she turned toward the bathroom again. "Wait," he grabbed her wrist, and she looked at him. "We should talk about what happened last night."

Ana sighed. "Yeah, I know we do," she said, moving over to sit on the side of the bed next to him. "And we will. I'm sorry that we're in a bit of a rush this morning, but we really do have a busy day ahead of us."

"I know," Christian nodded, and he had a sudden urge to break the ice a little. He chuckled. "In my experience, though, when a girl rushes out of bed like that, it's not a very good sign."

Ana giggled, and Christian felt a bit better that she found his statement funny. "Don't be ridiculous, Christian. Last night was… God, I don't even know how to describe it," she shook her head, placing her hand on his thigh while biting her lip. "It was absolutely amazing. I mean… I came like three times."

She dropped her head and blushed embarrassedly, but Christian couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face. The memory of her beautiful body flushed and quivering in the throes of her pleasure last night was one he was sure he would remember for the rest of his life.

"You're just trying to make me feel better," Christian teased, and Ana laughed again.

"No, I'm serious," she said, looking him in the eye. Her hand still rested on his bare thigh, and her thumb gently rubbed his skin. There was a certain heat in her expression that Christian didn't miss. "Last night was incredible, and so were you." Her eyes trailed down to his crotch and his barely-concealed erection. "You've got a pretty impressive piece of equipment there, Mr. Grey… definitely nothing to be shy about."

 _Oh I'll show you shy._

In a moment, Christian had lunged at Ana and pushed her back onto the bed, causing her to squeal in delight; he hovered over her, his face right above her own. His heart pounded a frantic rhythm in his chest, and Ana's labored breathing and heated stare made his dick instantly harder; he cupped her head with his right hand and pushed his fingers into her hair before kissing her roughly, and she immediately kissed him back. She moaned against him, wrapping her arms around his back and digging her nails into his skin, and Christian got lost in her all over again.

"Oh God," Ana sighed as Christian slowly trailed his lips along her jaw and down her neck toward her collarbone. He moved to pull the straps of her tank top down so he could reach her breasts…

 _KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_

"Come on you two! Move it!" Carla knocked on the door again, and Christian and Ana froze. "Vivian's here already - we're leaving in ten minutes!"

Carla then walked away, and Christian and Ana listened as the sound of her high heels faded as she made her way down the hallway. Both of them were extremely thankful she didn't barge her way in like she did before.

"We should probably get going before she comes back," Christian turned to look at Ana, and she grimaced.

"Yeah, probably," she conceded.

There was a brief silence where they just looked at each other, a million things seeming to be unsaid between them. Slowly, Christian pushed himself off of her, and she sat up, her hair now mussed up from their impromptu makeout session.

"I should probably… um…" Ana gestured to her hair before getting to her feet and grabbing her hairbrush from the end table, heading into the bathroom again.

Christian watched her close the door behind her before letting out a sigh, getting to his feet and gathering up his discarded clothes before heading back into his room.

* * *

Ana, Carla, Christian, and Vivian were currently at the KIIS radio station where Ana was recording cold openings introducing the local deejays. Ana was very open and friendly to all the people at the radio station, as she always was when doing PR stuff like this, and of course everyone was completely starstruck by her. Christian couldn't help but be a bit distracted as he watched Ana work - he couldn't stop thinking about what they did last night and what that meant for their relationship. It was almost strange to think that last night he had sex with one of the most famous pop stars in the world, but at the same time it wasn't so strange.

For just one night, she was just Ana, and he was just Christian. A man and a woman, together for one night of passion.

 _And what a night it was…_

Christian got so lost in his little fantasy remembering last night that he didn't even notice Carla approaching him.

"We should be wrapping up here in the next ten minutes or so," she said, now standing beside him, and Christian looked over at her. She wasn't looking at him, but rather was typing something busily into her BlackBerry. "Bring the car around, will you?"

"Yes ma'am," Christian said obediently, turning to leave.

"That is your job," Carla went on. Christian stopped and looked over at her again, and she was now gazing at him shrewdly. "You understand, Christian, that your job is to be Anastasia's CPO. Any other activities you both get up to are just that - _other_ activities. They should have no bearing or effect on my daughter's life and career, and if I find that they _do_ start to affect her, you're out of a job. Understand?"

Carla spoke calmly, though with a level of authority that made it clear who was in charge. Christian didn't really know how to respond to that, so instead he silently nodded before turning and heading out to the car.

He didn't like that Carla was telling him how to conduct his relationship with Anastasia before she and him could actually talk about what had happened between them. However, he understood her reasoning - Anastasia was her client, and so obviously she wanted what was best for her daughter's career.

 _Anastasia's career is the only thing Carla even cares about…_

Christian shook his head, trying to clear his negative thoughts. He knew that he shouldn't take Carla's words to heart, at least not until he and Ana could discuss what was going on between them. It wasn't worth listening to her, especially when it came to something that had nothing to do with her.

Resolved, Christian now made his way outside to the car so he could bring it around to the door.

* * *

 **~Later~**

It was now evening, and Ana had just spent the entire day today running between various meetings and interviews, most of which had to do with her upcoming tour which was going to happen within the next couple weeks. Christian didn't even want to know how much more insane his and Ana's schedules were about to become once they began traveling all over the world, but he knew it was something the two of them had to plan out at some point in the near future.

Christian walked downstairs into the kitchen to find Ana sitting at the breakfast counter, texting on her phone. She glanced up and smiled when she saw Christian.

"Hey," she said, setting her phone down on the counter.

"Hey," Christian greeted, moving over to sit across from her at the breakfast counter. "What's up?"

"Nothing, I was just trying to get in touch with my dad," Ana said, gesturing to her phone. "He and I were going to talk today, but I think he might be in bed already."

Christian nodded, but didn't say anything else. There was an awkward silence between them, both of them obviously thinking about this morning and everything they still hadn't talked about yet. Christian wasn't sure if he was ready yet.

"Look, Christian…" Ana began, glancing down at the counter. "I think it's about time we talk about what happened between us."

She sounded a bit reluctant as she spoke, and Christian couldn't help but grin ruefully. "Yeah, I know we do. I was kind of dreading this talk, to be honest."

"Yeah, I kind of was too," Ana admitted, smirking slightly. "Why does this have to be so difficult?"

"Probably because we work together, and you have your career and your public image to think about," Christian said, deciding candidness was the best route to take with this. "Things are going to be different from now on no matter what we decide to do."

Ana let out a sigh before looking down at her hands. "Yeah, you're right."

She didn't say anything after that, and neither did Christian. It was almost like they were putting a stop to whatever it was they had shared together, and he couldn't help but feel dejected. He cared about Ana a lot, and in a perfect world he felt that the two of them could actually be good together.

But the fact of the matter was that he worked for her, and she was probably going to start a new relationship with another A-list celebrity. He honestly didn't know how he would feel about that.

In their silence, Ana's phone suddenly started to buzz on the countertop. She looked at the screen before suddenly smiling.

"Oh, that's my dad," she said brightly, picking up the phone. "Excuse me for a moment."

She walked around the breakfast counter toward the lounge, bringing her phone to her ear. "Hi Daddy."

There was a moment's silence before she slowed to a stop in the middle of the hallway. "…I'm sorry, who is this? Where's my dad?"

Christian looked over to see her frowning while listening to whoever was on the other end. Worried, he got up from his seat and walked over to her, hoping he could find out what was going on. Ana didn't acknowledge him, but rather stared at the wall as the person on the other end spoke to her.

Ana suddenly brought her hand up to cover her mouth, her eyes filling with tears, and Christian became extremely worried. He placed his hand on her arm, and she finally looked over at him.

"Ana, what's going on?" he asked seriously. Ana finally brought her hand away from her mouth.

"My dad's in the hospital."

* * *

 **A/N: Next chapter, we'll learn what happened to Ray. Please review!**

 **Make sure you check out my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	12. Complications

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Hope you all enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: Complications**

For the next ten minutes or so, Christian waited anxiously as he watched Ana pace back and forth in the hallway, listening to the person on the other end of the phone explain what was going on with her dad. She would occasionally respond with a short "I don't know" or "he didn't tell me" which didn't help Christian much in terms of understanding the situation, but he decided to stay silent and wait for her to finish the call.

Finally, Ana said goodbye and hung up the phone. Christian walked over to her.

"Ana?" he asked hesitantly.

"That was a nurse from Seattle General Hospital," she said, gazing down at the floor and not meeting Christian's eyes. "She informed me that my dad's gastric adenocarcinoma had flared up and caused him to pass out at work, and now he's at the hospital for a few nights' observation. That nurse found my dad's cell phone when the EMTs brought him into their ambulance, and when she found out I was his emergency contact, she called me back. "

Christian didn't say anything for a moment, frowning in confusion. "Gastric adenocarcinoma?"

"Stomach cancer," Ana clarified, looking at him with angry tears in her eyes. "And before you ask - no, I had no idea my own father had cancer."

She turned away to hide her face, clearly distressed. Christian walked toward her, and immediately pulled her into his arms; she buried her face in his chest and started to cry, unable to hold it back any longer. For a few minutes, Christian just silently held her as she let out all her emotions - he couldn't believe that Ana's father actually had cancer and had hidden it from his own daughter. How could he do that? And how bad was his illness? Christian had a lot of questions, but for now he just held Ana as she cried into his chest.

Finally, after several minutes, she pulled away, sniffling, and Christian cupped her face in his hand while wiping her tears away with his thumb. Ana gave him a tremulous smile.

"I just… I don't understand," she muttered, shaking her head before looking down. "Why didn't he tell me about this? I know that he and I had just started talking again, but… he has _cancer_. How could I have been kept in the dark about this?"

"I don't know," Christian said sadly, moving his hand down to gently rub her arm. "I'm sure he had his reasons, though."

"I don't care about his _reasons._ I just want him to be honest with me," Ana snapped, though Christian understood her anger wasn't directed at himself. "We talked for hours yesterday. Why couldn't he at least bring it up?"

Christian didn't know how to answer that, so he remained silent. Ana sniffled as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I don't know what to do…" she finally muttered, glancing back up at Christian with a devastated expression. "More than anything I want to fly up to Seattle right now to be with my dad, but I know that I can't. I have responsibilities here, and a world tour coming up… the timing just sucks."

She buried her face in her hands as Christian pulled her into his arms once again, comforting her. He knew this was a tough situation for her to be in, but he wanted her to do what was right for her and her own needs, not the needs of others.

"Do what _you_ want to do, Ana," Christian said quietly, still holding her close, and she didn't respond. "I know it's probably not my place to say, but I think you need to listen to your heart on this one. If your dad's sick and in the hospital, and you want to go to him, then that's what you should do."

Ana pulled her face out of her hands after a moment and placed them on Christian's chest, looking into his eyes with a tear-filled expression. "I want to see my dad," she said after a moment, her voice emotional yet firm. "And I want to see him as soon as possible, but I don't want my mom or anyone else to know. I don't know how I can do that without freaking everyone out."

"I'll come with you to Seattle," Christian said without hesitation. "That way, the others will know you're not missing, and if they want to get in touch with you they'll have to go through me first. I'll make sure they understand the situation without alarming them too much."

For the first time, Ana actually smiled. "We're really doing this?"

"Yes we are," Christian said with conviction, smiling as well. "We'll leave whenever you're ready."

"First thing in the morning. I'll call my pilot to prep the plane," Ana said, now pulling away from Christian and typing something on her phone. "You and I need to pack a few bags."

"I'll do that for us," Christian said without hesitation, and he began to make his way toward the staircase.

"Wait," Ana said after him, and Christian stopped to look at her. She rushed over and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly, and Christian felt surprised, but immediately hugged her back. He couldn't help but hold her close, enjoying the feel of her in his arms.

"Thank you," she muttered into his shoulder, and when she finally pulled away, she looked up into his eyes. "I mean it."

Christian smiled down at her. "You're welcome," he said sincerely. "Now let's get going."

* * *

 **~The next morning~**

It was a typical cloudy morning in Seattle, Washington.

The streets were relatively busy as cars and pedestrians made their way through town to begin the work day, and Seattle General Hospital stood quiet and sentinel in the heart of the large city. A single black Lexus pulled up next to the entrance of the hospital, and after a moment, a man and a woman stepped out from the backseat. The man wore a simple blue button-down shirt and navy blue slacks, while the woman wore a long overcoat with a scarf looped around her neck. Her light blonde hair was pulled back into a bun, and her overlarge sunglasses made her look rather conspicuous as she glanced around at her surroundings.

The two of them walked through the glass sliding doors toward the front desk, where a nurse was typing away at a computer. She glanced up as they approached.

"Hello, how may I help you?" she smiled politely. Her eyes lingered on the blonde woman, probably curious as to why she was wearing sunglasses on such a cloudy day.

"Hi, we're here to visit someone. Raymond Steele," the man said.

"Alright," the nurse said, typing something on her computer. "Are you family?"

"I'm his daughter, Anne," the blonde woman said, pushing her sunglasses further up her nose. She glanced around the atrium, as if making sure no one was listening.

"Alright Anne - your father should be on the second floor, room 206," the nurse said, reading something on the computer monitor. "Just follow the hallway to your left, the elevators are at the very end."

"Thank you," the man said politely.

The two of them walked away down the hallway, and the nurse watched them rather curiously. That young woman looked strangely familiar to her, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it…

"Very subtle," Christian whispered once the nurse was out of earshot and no one else was around. "I think you can take the sunglasses off now, we're indoors."

"I just don't want to take any chances," Anastasia said, though she complied with slipping the sunglasses off, glancing around. "I don't really do this incognito thing very often."

"Well, I have to say you're doing a great job of it," Christian said with a smirk, and Ana gave him a sarcastic smile right back. They reached the elevators, and Christian pressed the up arrow. "I actually like your blonde hair - it suits you."

Anastasia giggled, tucking a piece of the wig hair behind her ear. "Thanks."

They both got into the elevator and went up to the second floor. When the doors slid open, Ana immediately stepped out into the hallway and walked toward room 206, Christian following in her wake.

The door to the room was slightly ajar, and Ana looked a bit nervous as she gazed at it. Christian put his hand on the small of her back in a comforting gesture, and she looked up at him gratefully; she then turned back to the door, lifted her hand, and softly knocked.

"Come in," a gruff voice answered.

Ana pushed open the door, and she and Christian walked inside. The room was sterile white with a variety of medical machines surrounding a large bed; Ray Steele lay under a blanket wearing a blue hospital gown, his face more pale and drawn than it was from just a day ago. His eyes landed on Ana, and it took him a moment to recognize her - he blinked in surprise as he straightened into a sitting position on the bed, staring at her.

"Annie?" he asked in disbelief.

"Hi Daddy," Ana said breathlessly, her voice quavering with emotion.

A split second passed between them when suddenly Ana rushed across the room and wrapped her arms around her father, hugging him tightly as he hugged her back. It was a tender moment, and Christian couldn't help but smile as he watched Ana and Ray reunited after so long - the two of them clutched each other tightly as if they never wanted to let go, and Ray brought his hand up and placed it on the back of her head, smiling against her shoulder.

"Oh Pumpkin," he finally said, pulling away as he gazed into his daughter's eyes. "What are you doing here? And why are you blonde?"

Ana let out a tear-filled giggle. "I wanted to see you, and I didn't want to be recognized while I'm here."

"Oh darling, you didn't need to make the trip all the way up here," Ray said, cupping her cheek. "But I have to say, it's wonderful to see you again."

"It's wonderful to see you too," Ana smiled back at him, though her smile faded after a moment. "Why didn't you tell me you had stomach cancer, Daddy? Do you know how horrible it was to get that call from the nurse last night telling me what had happened to you?"

Ray's face fell, and he brought his hand away from Ana's cheek. "I'm sorry, darling… I never intended to hide this from you, but it was almost a year ago since I was first diagnosed. The doctors found the cancer very early and I was given medication for it, and I was better within a matter of months. I hardly got sick at all, and I didn't want to worry you with something that wasn't a big deal."

"Clearly it is a big deal. You passed out at work," Ana snapped, though she quickly quieted. After a moment she let out a troubled sigh. "I'm sorry, but you just really scared me. Do the doctors know what's wrong yet?"

"They're running some tests today to see if my cancer's back," Ray said, his voice somber. "However, my doctor thinks that that's probably the case and I'll need to go back onto medication again, perhaps even radiation and chemotherapy."

Ana let out a small whimper, tears streaming down her face, and Ray quickly pulled her in for another hug. "Oh Pumpkin, please don't cry," he said sadly, holding her close as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'll be okay. You know me, I'm a tough old bird."

"I don't like seeing you sick, Daddy," Ana said, sniffling against his shoulder. "I'm not going to leave your side until you're better."

Ray smiled sadly. "That might won't be for months, darling."

"I don't care - I'm staying with you," Ana said stubbornly, and Ray chuckled.

"Okay."

Christian, glad that Ana and Ray were finally reunited, didn't want to intrude upon their time together any longer. Without a word, he turned around and stepped out of the hospital room, closing the door quietly behind him.

He walked over and leaned back against the wall beside the doorway, tucking his hands in his pockets while glancing around the hallway. Nurses and doctors bustled around carrying charts and file folders in their hands, and a few of the young attractive nurses passing by cast him flirtatious smiles. Christian never returned their smiles, his mind completely focused on the beautiful girl inside the hospital room reuniting with her father.

His phone suddenly started buzzing from inside his breast pocket, and he pulled it out before checking the screen - it was Carla.

With a resigned sigh, Christian hit Answer and brought the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Christian," Carla snapped through the phone by way of greeting. "Where the hell is my daughter?"

"She's fine. She's with me," Christian said calmly.

"I know you two didn't go out for a run this morning," Carla went on angrily. "And our pilot called from LAX and told me that Ana took the private jet this morning. Where the hell are you guys, and when the hell are you coming back so I can fire your ass!"

She sounded more pissed off than Christian had ever heard her before, and he wasn't sure how to respond to that. Before he could, however, Ana had appeared at his side and had taken the phone from his hand.

"Mom?" Ana spoke into the phone. She listened for a moment or two before bringing the phone down and hitting speaker:

"- can't just take off like that! Do you know how worried I've been?" Carla yelled through the phone, loud enough that made Christian wonder if the nurses nearby could hear her. "Where the hell are you two?"

"We're in Seattle. Dad's in the hospital, Mom," Ana said, which thankfully shut Carla up. "And before you ask, it was my own idea to come here without telling anyone - Christian didn't decide anything, so you can stop yelling at him."

"He's supposed to be with you for your own protection, Ana," Carla stated. "He should have stopped you from sneaking away to Seattle! Don't you know how reckless that is? What if you're recognized?"

"I'm in disguise Mom - no one's gonna recognize me," Ana said, though she glanced around to make sure no one else was listening. "And even if I was, who cares? Dad needs me right now, and I want to be here for him."

"You were supposed to have another photoshoot for Dior today, but it's conveniently missing from Vivian's schedule," Carla suddenly changed tack. "And you have a world tour coming up in a matter of weeks that you have yet to prepare for. You can't just be shirking your responsibilities the moment someone gets sick, Anastasia."

"Are you serious?" Ana hissed, looking properly angry now. "My dad has cancer, Mom. _Cancer_. He's not just a little ill, it's serious - and you would know that if you ever bothered to care for anyone other than yourself!"

"Ana…!" Carla gasped.

"Now you listen to me," Ana overrode her angrily. "My dad has cancer, and that's my top priority at the moment. Not photoshoots, not press interviews, not even my world tour… _this_ is what's taking precedent, end of story. I'm going to call up Trey and the tour manager, and we're going to postpone the first half of my world tour so I can bring Dad back to LA with me and take care of him. He's going to stay with me at the house and I'm going to get him the best oncologists money can buy. Nothing you or anyone else can convince me not to do this - I'll call you back when I talk to Trey. Goodbye."

With that, Ana hung up the phone and handed it back to Christian before turning around and striding back into the hospital room.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, Ana brings Ray back home to LA.**

 ****Note: I'm going to be traveling a lot for Christmas this year, therefore it's probably going to be a couple weeks before I'm able to update again. I'll post a teaser to Facebook as soon as I can. Thank you all for understanding! Happy Holidays :)**

 **Be sure to check out my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	13. Get Well Soon

**A/N: Thank you all for your love and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Get Well Soon**

For the next hour or so, Ana spoke on the phone with her agent Trey about postponing the first leg of her tour, which was originally going to take place in venues across the entire United States and last for about four months. She explained the circumstances as to why she wanted to postpone, and thankfully Trey was more kind and understanding about it than Carla, but he was concerned about how they were going to navigate the change in plans. They'd have to alert the media and call all the venues they were initially going to perform at, as well as refund all the tickets that had already been sold. Ana suggested they push the tour dates to next year and give people the option to transfer their tickets to that time, and Trey agreed that was a good way to go.

Ana paced her father's hospital room as she spoke on the phone while Christian sat in a nearby chair texting on his BlackBerry, rearranging Ana's schedule. When she finally hung up and turned toward her father, he was giving her a commiserating look from his bed.

"Darling, I don't want you to go through all this trouble for me," Ray said. "I'm really not that sick."

"The doctor told us that your cancer is back Dad," Ana said seriously, walking over to sit on the edge of his bed. "And you're going to have to go through chemo and radiation over the next few months in order to fight it. You may not feel that sick now, but you're going to start feeling it soon."

"I can handle it sweetheart," Ray insisted. "You know me. I don't want to have to put a hold on your life and your work just because I'm sick."

"Why not? You always did the same for me," Ana said, and she smiled before taking his hand in her own. "When I was little, every time I was sick and had to stay home from school, you'd take time off work so you could take care of me. Even when I was nine and got the flu for four days straight, you stayed home with me the whole time. You made me homemade chicken noodle soup and let me watch Nick at Nite."

Ray chuckled. "I remember that. I also remember disinfecting practically everything in the house so your germs wouldn't get everywhere."

Ana giggled. "You always took such great care of me when I was little, and now I want to return the favor. Please, Dad… I would feel awful going on my tour knowing that you were here, sick and alone."

Ray let out a sigh. "I suppose there's no use talking you out of it. Do you really want me staying in Los Angeles with you though? I feel like I'd just be intruding."

"You won't be. I have plenty of room at the house," Ana insisted. "I also have a personal chef that can help you coordinate healthy meals every single day, and if you want I can even hire an in-home nurse to help you out with your medications. Although I do want to be the one to take care of you to an extent."

Ray chuckled incredulously. "You're going to spoil me with all this pampering, sweetheart. I'll have to come back home eventually, you know."

"Well, I don't want to have to think about that right now," Ana smiled, squeezing his hand gently. She leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. "I just want to take care of you, Dad."

"If I get to spend time with my little girl, then I'll be more than okay," Ray squeezed her hand back, smiling as well. "So do the doctors know when I'll be able to get out of here?"

"I'm not sure, but since you haven't had any issues since you arrived, I'm sure you won't be here too much longer," Ana said, getting to her feet. "I'll go talk to your doctor right now and figure out when you can be discharged."

She walked out of the room, leaving Ray and Christian alone together.

"She's sweet for looking out for me," Ray said, gazing out the door. "Though I think she's forgotten she's a world-famous pop star in a building full of regular people. She's going to shock the hell out of that nurse who I heard listening to Annie's music on the radio this morning."

Christian couldn't help but laugh. "I doubt Ana's even focusing on that right now. She already told her mother she doesn't care if she's recognized here."

"Oh yes, I can imagine. Annie and Carla are definitely two very different people," Ray shook his head. "While I am looking forward to spending more time with my daughter, I'm hoping I won't have to put up with her mother too much while I'm there."

"When I first started working for Ana, she assured me Carla wouldn't be around much," Christian said. "It's true for the most part, but I do still have to put up with her from time to time."

"That's still too much of Carla Wilks if you ask me," Ray muttered, and Christian couldn't help but smirk.

There was suddenly a small commotion from outside the hospital room door, hurried footsteps and excited voices sounding from the hallway: "Oh my God, did you see her?" a woman was saying excitedly to someone. "She's blonde, but it's definitely her!"

"Oh my God, I am _freaking_ out! What do you think she's doing here?"

"Trish, give me your phone. I'm gonna get a selfie with her…"

The women's voices faded as they hurried away down the corridor, obviously going in search of Anastasia. The hospital room door suddenly opened and Ana slipped inside, closing the door behind her and pressing her back up against it, trying to stay out of sight.

"Hey Christian," Ana implored, blinking over at him. "I didn't get a chance to find the doctor. Do you mind going out to look for him? Maybe wait a few minutes first though."

"Sure thing Ana," Christian said, not before exchanging a small smile with Ray.

* * *

 **~The following day~**

Ray's oncologist, Dr. Reginald, had finally given him the all-clear to be discharged today, and even gave him and Ana detailed instructions about the medications Ray would need for his gastric adenocarcinoma as well as when he had to come back to the hospital for a check-up. The doctor knew that Ray was going to be staying in California for the foreseeable future, so he made sure to get the name and number of the doctor Ana was planning on taking Ray to down there. Ana, of course, had gone all out and got the best oncologist in the entire state, and even Dr. Reginald admitted Ray was going to be in very good hands with this new guy.

Ana had wanted to stay the night in Ray's hospital room and just crash on the couch, but Christian had convinced her to book a hotel room somewhere else. It simply wasn't safe staying for too long in this hospital, especially since word had spread amongst the nurses and staff that Anastasia herself had come to Seattle General to visit an ailing relative. Dozens of nurses and orderlies shamelessly peered through Ray's room door to get just a small glimpse of her, and that finally convinced Ana that she needed to go somewhere else for the night.

Now, it was the next day, and Ray had been discharged from the hospital. Christian had brought the car around while Ana wheeled her father outside. Dozens of paparazzi and excited onlookers had gathered around the front entrance, but Ana and Ray ignored them as she helped her father into the backseat of the car.

"I don't know how you deal with all this, Annie," Ray mused as he and Ana sat together in the backseat, putting on their seatbelts. Christian pulled out of the driveway, and dozens of people surrounded the car while snapping pictures of them with their phones.

"I've actually dealt with much worse than this," Ana said, glancing out the window. She pressed a button on the remote control attached to the armrest, and the television hanging from the car ceiling clicked on:

"… _And in music news, pop singer Anastasia has announced the first half of her tour will be put on hold indefinitely,"_ a female TMZ reporter was saying. Footage of Anastasia in a slinky black cocktail dress at a red carpet event played as b-roll. " _It's been reported that Anastasia's father Raymond up in Seattle had been hospitalized due to complications of gastric adenocarcinoma, otherwise known as stomach cancer, and Anastasia has made the decision to hold off touring for the next few months in order to be with him. We have not been made aware of how serious Raymond's condition is, but we're all sending love and prayers to Anastasia and her father during this difficult time."_

"E! News is running the same story," Ana said, clicking through a few more channels. "So are about a dozen other gossip sites, and I'll probably have to post about it on my social media accounts too. I'll need to talk to Mom and see what she thinks."

"You've really thought this through darling," Ray said, sounding a bit surprised. "Do you deal with this kind of stuff on a regular basis?"

"No, but I know how to deal with the media," Ana said, finally clicking the television off. "And, as annoying as she can be, Mom knows how to deal with them too. She's coordinating everything with my agent Trey right now."

Ray nodded, but didn't say anything else as Christian drove them down the road toward SeaTac Airport, where Ana's private jet was waiting for them to take them back to LA. Christian glanced in the rearview mirror, and saw Ana hook her arm through her father's elbow; the two of them glanced at each other and smiled, and Ray patted Ana's hand in a sweet fatherly gesture.

Christian couldn't help but smile to himself as he drove the car toward the airport.

~/~

"Here we are - home sweet home."

One plane ride later and a short drive to Beverly Hills, they had finally arrived at Ana's home. Christian unloaded their luggage from the trunk as Ana helped her father out of the backseat of the car. Ray smiled as he took in the outside of the house.

"This place is beautiful, Annie," he said, gazing around. "You've really done well for yourself."

"Thank you Dad," Ana giggled, taking his hand and leading him toward the front door. "I can't wait to show you the place, and I already asked my housekeeping staff to prepare your bedroom for you, so everything should be done and ready for our arrival."

They walked inside, Christian trailing behind them with the luggage, and they were met by Carla standing in the kitchen and talking to someone on her cell phone:

"…Well did you tell them her tour's on hiatus?" she snapped into the receiver, one hand on her hip. "It's not ideal, but her father's sick in the hospital. It'll definitely earn some sympathy points with the media, I'll tell you that much…"

She glanced over and noticed the three of them standing there. "Sasha, I'll call you back," she said before hanging up. "Welcome back darling."

"Hi Mom," Ana said.

"I'm glad you're home, sweetheart - please don't ever worry me like that again," Carla said insistently. She walked forward and pulled Ana into her arms, kissing her on the cheeks. "I want to know where you are at all times, alright?"

"I'm not a child, Mom," Ana said, frowning in an annoyed fashion.

"Hello Carla," Ray said, looking less than pleased to be seeing his ex-wife again. "Long time no see."

'Raymond," Carla greeted him, gazing at him appraisingly. "Welcome to Ana's home. My condolences about your condition."

She didn't wait for a response as she turned around and headed back toward the kitchen, dialing something on her phone. Ray and Ana both rolled their eyes.

"Ignore her," Ana said, pulling Ray's hand again. "Come on, let me show you up to your room."

Ana led her father toward the staircase while Christian followed behind them, still carrying all the luggage.

* * *

Christian spent the rest of the day between helping Ray and Ana set up for his stay here as well as rearranging Ana's schedule. Now that her tour was on hiatus, the next few months were free and open for companies to swoop in and get Anastasia's celebrity endorsement for their brands. Carla and Vivian had already booked about a dozen new photoshoots and interviews for Ana over the next month or so, and Christian had to work at coordinating everything so it could all feasibly fit into her schedule as well as give her free time to spend with her father.

Thankfully, Carla didn't stick around too much longer after Ana and Ray arrived at the house, and she left to go deal with a media-related issue. Ana hardly seemed to notice Carla's absence as she spent the day showing Ray around the house and showing him his bedroom, which was a few doors down from her own. She seemed to be in a very chipper mood as she helped her father unpack his luggage, chatting about everything the two of them could do together now that he was here with her, and he seemed delighted by the prospect of spending the next few months with his daughter, regardless of the fact he was sick.

Christian spent most of the afternoon in his bedroom, working at Ana's schedule on his computer. Hours passed, and before he knew it the sun had set and night had fallen. Christian checked his watch and realized it was getting pretty late - he rubbed his eyes and yawned, feeling he should stop working for the night before he developed a headache. He changed into a t-shirt and pajama pants, and just as he was thinking of turning on his TV and watching a little Netflix, he heard a soft knock on his door.

He walked over and opened the door, only to see Ana standing there by herself. Like him, she was wearing pajamas - a simple dark blue t-shirt and pink flannel pants, while her brown hair was pulled back into a messy bun. She had her arms crossed and was leaning one shoulder against the door frame, and she glanced up as soon as the door opened.

"Hey Christian," she smiled at him, though her eyes appeared a bit tired and empty.

"Hi," Christian said, a bit surprised to see her. "Is everything alright? Did you need something?"

"Oh no, everything's fine," Ana insisted. "Really, I'm just…" she hesitated a moment or two before shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I came here."

She looked a bit embarrassed, but Christian honestly felt glad to see her here right now. He but his hand on her upper arm, rubbing it comfortingly, and she looked up at him again. "Long day?"

Ana sighed before smiling tiredly. "Yeah, a bit," she agreed. "My dad went to bed, and I think I'm going to turn in for the night too."

"Yeah, me too. And you don't have anything scheduled for tomorrow morning either, so feel free to sleep in," Christian said.

Ana grimaced at him, but didn't say anything as she looked down at her feet again, still leaning her shoulder against the door jamb. There was clearly something bothering her, and Christian didn't know what he could say or do to help.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly, finally removing his hand from her arm.

She hesitated a moment before shrugging. "I guess so," she said. "I mean… I'm really happy my dad is here with me, but I'm still processing the fact that he has cancer and he's going to be on chemo for the next few months. Plus, my schedule's all crazy now with the tour I had been planning for over a year being suddenly cut off. I just… I don't know," she sighed. "I'm still processing all of it, that's all."

Christian simply gazed down at her, wishing there was something he could say or do that could make her feel better. Today had obviously been very emotionally taxing for her, and she had come to him to find comfort and solace. The thought touched him, and he instinctively reached forward and pulled Ana in his arms; she immediately wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him back, resting her face against his shoulder.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked quietly into her hair, rubbing her back. He felt her shake her head against his chest.

"No, not really," she muttered before letting out a sigh. Christian could have sworn she was discreetly inhaling his scent.

Christian knew there was one particular thing he wanted to do with her that didn't involve any talking, but didn't feel it was appropriate to bring it up at this moment. He knew a night of passionate sex probably would have helped her forget about the world for a little while, but he didn't want to press his luck, especially since they hadn't really spoken much about the boundaries of their sort-of relationship yet.

He glanced back into his bedroom and remembered he was about to watch TV. "Well, I was about to watch some Netflix. Would you like to join me?"

Ana pulled away slightly to look up at Christian, a small happy smile on her face. "You want to have a movie night?"

"Yeah, sure," Christian smiled back, glad to see her look so delighted at the prospect of watching a movie with him.

"Okay," Ana grinned. "A movie night sounds wonderful. Do you know what you want to watch?"

"Well, I was going to watch the new Thor movie, but if there's something else you wanted to see…" Christian began.

"Oh no, Thor sounds perfect," Ana insisted with a smile. "I'd love to watch that with you. Hold on - I'm going to grab some popcorn and soda for us in the kitchen. I'll be back in a minute."

She hugged Christian one more time around the middle, surprising him, before hurrying away down the hallway toward the staircase. Christian watched her leave, smiling despite himself.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, we'll get Ana's thoughts on Christian.**

 **Be sure to check out my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	14. Making Decisions

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Making Decisions**

 **~Ana~**

Ana slowly roused from her sleep, feeling rested and comfortable despite the late night last night. She was laying on something warm and solid, and she blinked open her eyes to see that she had fallen asleep on Christian, her head resting upon his chest.

The two of them had watched Netflix together last night, laying beside each other on the bed while snacking on popcorn. She had cuddled up against Christian's side at some point during the night, and he had wrapped his arm around her, holding her close as if they were a couple enjoying a comfy night in. Ana couldn't help but feel safe and warm laying like that with him.

She watched him as he slept… his broad chest rising and falling as he breathed, the silence of the morning punctuated by his soft snores. Ana couldn't help but smile as she watched him, her chin resting on his chest near his heart - he truly was one of the best-looking guys she had ever seen, and considering the fact that she lived in LA and was surrounded by gorgeous men on a daily basis, that was saying something. His messy copper hair fell over his eyes in just the right way, while his sharp jawline and five o'clock shadow never failed to make her heart stutter in her chest.

It wasn't just his looks though - it was everything about him. His personality, his kindness, and his work ethic… and the fact that she could trust him with her life.

Ana's mind went back to earlier that week, when the two of them had spent one passionate night together, and she couldn't help but smile and blush at the memory. That night with Christian was easily the best sex she ever had - her past experiences with guys had consisted entirely of men in the music business or in Hollywood. Those guys were generally good-looking, but they were also smug and self-assured, and they were far more preoccupied with their own pleasure than hers. But with Christian, it was the exact opposite.

He was thoughtful and deliberate when they were making love, caressing her body and making her keen with pleasure at the simplest touch. She came twice before he did, and when he finally climaxed he held her in his arms as if she were the most precious thing in the world to him.

And for a brief moment, she felt like she could be.

Christian now shifted slightly in his sleep, moving his head so he was facing Ana, though his eyes were still closed. Ana had an overwhelming urge to lean forward and kiss him on the lips right then and there, but instead she gently pushed herself off of him and slipped out of bed without waking him.

Ana tiptoed out of the room, not before stopping at the doorway and gazing at Christian's sleeping form for a moment or two. Ignoring the odd emotion filling her chest, she quickly turned around and walked out into the hallway.

Last night she had had an overwhelming urge to see Christian - she wasn't entirely sure why, but after everything that had happened with her father that day, she felt like she wanted to find comfort in his presence. While she hadn't necessarily sought him out for sex again, she also wasn't ruling it out… she'd be more than happy to spend another amazing night like that with him again, without question. However, a part of her almost liked it more that they didn't have sex last night, but rather just watched a movie while lying in bed together. She couldn't remember the last time she had done something so relaxed and normal with someone, and she was happy she got to share it with him at a moment in time where she just needed to be with him.

She now walked toward her bedroom to change for her morning workout, which she decided she was going to do alone in the fitness room today. She had skipped her usual workouts the last couple days due to everything that had happened, and she knew she couldn't miss another day. She changed into her gray and black Adidas sports bra, black three-quarter leggings, and pink tennis shoes; after pulling her hair back into a ponytail, she grabbed her iPod and earbuds and headed toward the fitness room.

"Good morning, Annie."

Ana looked over and smiled as she spotted her father stepping out of his bedroom, wearing a pair of pajama pants and his old Marines t-shirt.

"Hi Daddy," Ana said brightly. "Did you just wake up?"

"Yeah, and I was just about to take my medication. I'm gonna head downstairs to the kitchen to get a glass of water."

"Oh okay," Ana said. "I was just heading into the fitness room for my morning workout. If you need anything though, just let me know."

"Sure thing, sweetheart," Ray nodded, and he suddenly smiled. "I love my bed, by the way. I slept like a baby all night long."

Ana giggled. "I'm glad you liked it. I remembered your bed back home was always so firm, so when we were prepping your room the other day I suggested you have a firmer mattress. I'm glad you enjoy it."

"Well, that was very thoughtful of you Annie," Ray said, looking touched at her remembering how he liked his mattress. "Although I wish you didn't waste all that money buying a whole new mattress just for me."

"It's not that big a deal," Ana assured him. "Now whenever you come to visit in the future, you'll have that room all to yourself. Complete with your very own, specially-made, hard-as-a-rock mattress."

Ray laughed. "Sounds like a plan."

The two of them parted ways, Ray toward the kitchen and Ana toward the fitness room, and Ana couldn't help but grin to herself. She loved her father so much, and despite his reason for being here, she was delighted to have him staying with her at her home for the foreseeable future.

~/~

After her workout, where she ran for over five miles on the treadmill, Ana went back to her room to shower and change. Christian had told her she didn't have anything scheduled for today, so after she got dressed in her LuLu's short red wrap dress and a thin gold belt, she decided to head down to her office to send off some emails and check her social media accounts.

As usual, her inbox had accumulated dozens of unread messages overnight - most for work-related things, several of which had to do with her upcoming album. Max from the record label had sent her an email, wanting to set up a time and place for a recording session… while Ana was eager to start her new studio album soon, she didn't really want to think about that right now, at least while her father was still settling in.

She instead clicked on a YouTube link her friend Raquelle had sent her with the message: _This vid about you started trending last night. It's so cute!_

Ana clicked on the link and smiled as she read the title of the video - **I worked for Anastasia and she is AMAZING**. It was a young black woman named Nella speaking into her camera vlog-style about how she had done Anastasia's makeup for her concert in Houston a couple months ago. She was gushing about how sweet and thoughtful Ana was asking about her baby since she had been eight months' pregnant at the time, and she went into a story about how Ana had ordered Jimmy Johns for her since Nella said she hadn't eaten that entire day.

Anastasia couldn't help but smile as she watched the video - she remembered that woman doing her makeup at her Houston concert, and she remembered getting her a sandwich after she mentioned she was starving. Ana quickly grabbed her phone and opened her Twitter app, finding Nella's handle and tweeting at her:

 _Such a sweet vid (a)_ _NellasBrushes_ _! Adored your makeup skills, and I hope you and the baby are doing well!_

Ana giggled to herself, clicking off of Twitter. That tweet would probably make the front page of all the gossip sites by the end of today.

After going through the rest of her unread emails, Ana decided to head downstairs and grab a quick breakfast. She stepped out of her office, and immediately noticed the door to the fitness room open and someone inside - she walked toward it and saw Christian's reflection in one of the mirrored walls at an angle. She felt her heartbeat skyrocket when she saw he wasn't wearing a shirt and only had on a pair of basketball shorts and black tennis shoes. His six-pack abs and pectoral muscles glistened with sweat as he he did burpees with a medicine ball - with cat-like reflexes, he jumped facedown down onto the mat, did a quick high plank before hopping back onto his feet, lifting the heavy medicine ball up over his head. He did several of these in quick succession, and Ana couldn't help but watch him as if transfixed.

She had never seen him do this type of cardio before… she wondered if he often did workouts like this when he was alone. She subconsciously bit her lip as she watched him, her heart thudding loudly in her chest.

 _I wonder how long he can go for?_

Ana quickly snapped out of her stupor, a blush stealing over her face. She couldn't believe she had been gawping at Christian like a sex-starved lunatic - trying to clear her thoughts, she shook her head turned away from the fitness room, making her way downstairs to see what her dad was up to.

~/~

Ana went and ate breakfast with her dad down in the kitchen, and she didn't see Christian until nearly an hour later, after he had showered and changed out of his workout clothes. Ana still had the image of him shirtless and sweaty in the fitness room, and she couldn't help but blush when she greeted him, but thankfully he didn't seem to notice.

After breakfast, Ana, Ray and Christian all sat around the living room and chatted amicably with each other. Ray and Christian immediately bonded over baseball - Ray was a huge Mariners fan while Christian liked the Dodgers, but both of them talked animatedly about their favorite players and about the last games they went to. Ana mostly listened during these parts of the conversation, but she didn't mind - she honestly enjoyed just sitting and watching her dad and Christian bonding with each other.

"…Have you ever been to a baseball game, Ana?" Christian now asked, looking over at Ana. She smiled.

"Yeah. When I was little, Dad used to drag me to Mariners games all the time," she said, grinning over at her father, who smiled nostalgically. "But when I got older, I started wanting to go see plays and musicals over at the Seattle Theater, and I forced him to come along with me to those as payback."

"Hey, I enjoyed the plays you used to take me to," Ray said defensively. "What was that one we saw that I really liked? It was about those four boys with the high-pitched voices…"

"That was _Jersey Boys_ ," Ana explained with an eyeroll. "And their voices weren't high-pitched, it's called singing falsetto."

"Well, whatever it's called, it was at a decibel I could barely understand…"

Ana laughed as Christian's phone started buzzing in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen.

"Oh - sorry, this is my boss over at the security firm," Christian said, looking at Ray and Ana apologetically. "I should probably take this."

"Sure, go ahead," Ana nodded. Christian got up and walked out of the living room, bringing his phone to his ear.

Christian's footsteps faded in the distance as he walked away, and there was a short silence between Ana and her father.

"…You like him, don't you?"

Ana looked over at Ray, who was gazing at her with a soft expression on his face. She felt her cheeks go red.

"Who, Christian?" she asked. "Yeah, of course I like him. He's a great CPO."

"You know that's not what I mean," Ray said with a knowing smile. "You have feelings for him… I can see it in your eyes."

"That's ridiculous," Ana said insistently, but Ray merely chuckled.

"I love you sweetheart, but you're a terrible liar," he stated. "You have that same expression on your face as you did when you were twelve and lying to me about Jordan Kendalwood asking you to go to the middle school dance."

Ana blushed again, cursing herself for being so obvious. "It's nothing. I just like spending time with Christian… it's not that big a deal."

"Well, maybe not... but I can tell he feels the same way about you."

Ana blinked up at her father, a bit surprised to hear him say that. Could Christian really have feelings for her? The hopefulness that she should have felt when hearing that didn't come, but rather a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "I doubt that's true. And even if it was, he would only want to be with me because I'm _Anastasia_."

Ray frowned. "Why on earth would you say that?"

Ana couldn't meet her father's eyes. "Because it's true. It's why everyone wants to associate themselves with me."

"Well, that's ridiculous," Ray stated firmly. "People who only want to be with you only because of your money and fame aren't worth much to begin with. Does Christian really strike you as that kind of person?"

Ana didn't say anything for a moment. "I don't know," she mumbled.

"Sweetheart," Ray said compassionately, but Ana still couldn't meet his eyes. "Darling, I know that operating at your level of fame comes with its own challenges, but please don't write off other people just because you're afraid of what their intentions might be."

"But my money and fame seem to be _everyone's_ intentions," Ana said, rather sadly. "It was like that with my old friends back in Seattle, and the people here in LA…"

 _And my own mother._

"Of course people in the music industry here are only going to care about money," Ray brushed off. "And your friends back in Seattle were just dumb kids who cared more for superficial things rather than lasting friendships. Those types of people don't discount your real family and friends. You know that I don't see you for your money, don't you sweetheart?"

Ana finally looked up at her father, and she couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, of course I know."

"And I'm certain that Christian doesn't see you like that either," Ray said firmly. "I think you'd be surprised by some people."

Ana smiled again, and before she could stop herself, got up off her chair and moved over to the couch where her father sat, hugging him around the waist. "I love you Daddy."

Ray chuckled, hugging her back. "I love you too, Pumpkin."

* * *

 **~Christian~**

Christian's phone call with Taylor ended up being rather important: Taylor needed to renew the liability insurance for all the workers at his company, and Christian needed to stop by the headquarters sometime soon to sign the necessary papers. Christian said he would try to stop by today, grateful for the fact that Ana didn't have anything of importance he needed to accompany her to today.

After clearing it with her, Christian got into the SUV and headed off for T-J Security, which he hadn't been back to since he started this CPO gig. He wondered how everyone was doing and what kind of jobs they had been working at in his absence.

"Well, look who it is!" Theo and Roy, two of the security guards, glanced up and grinned when they noticed Christian walked through the front doors. "Chris is back!"

Christian smiled as several of his coworkers swarmed around him like paparazzi, asking him questions about what it was like working for one of the biggest pop stars in the world.

"Dude, what's her house like?"

"Have you met any other famous people yet?"

"Jesus Christ, the _money_ that girl must have…!"

"Guys, you know I can't really talk about it," Christian said firmly, though he smiled as he spoke.

"Aw, c'mon man - just a few details," Theo insisted. "We're desperate here! Tell me, does she smell nice?"

The others all laughed. "Okay, she does smell nice. But that's all you're getting from me," Christian said.

"I knew it!" Theo said happily. "Man, you get to spend all your time with that girl. You are one lucky son of a bitch."

Christian chuckled, thinking about last night when he got to fall asleep with Anastasia in his arms. _Yeah, I really am._

"Alright, everyone. Break it up," Taylor suddenly walked into the front lobby. "Christian, come with me - I got those papers you need to sign."

The others all called after him, but Christian ignored them as he followed Taylor into the back conference room, where there was a small stack of papers and a packet of insurance information for him to review. "Yeah, sorry to pull you away for all this tedious insurance stuff, but it is necessary," Taylor said apologetically as Christian took a seat across from him. "We have to review all the new benefits before you sign anything."

"Sure, no problem."

For the next half-hour or so, Christian and Taylor went over all the insurance forms, which were predictably rather boring and tedious. Once that was all done, however, Christian and Taylor went back out by the others to chat for awhile, and they told him about all the work that had been done since Christian left for his CPO job. Apparently, his gig with Anastasia had helped bring in more business for the company, and Taylor was even thinking of hiring on a few more security guards to help with the extra workload.

Christian was enjoying catching up with all his old friends, so much so that several hours had past by the time they finished. It was late afternoon by the time he headed back to Beverly Hills - Ana hadn't contacted him at all while he was gone, so he hoped everything was okay with her and Ray back at the estate.

The sun had begun to set as he pulled up into the driveway, and when he parked the car and walked through the front door, the house seemed completely quiet and empty. Wondering where everyone was, Christian walked upstairs toward his bedroom, glancing around for any sign of life. He noticed a light coming out from Ray's bedroom, but that was about it.

Christian knew he should check up on Anastasia, but decided to first change out of his button-down shirt and slacks into something more comfortable. He put on a pair of comfortable sweatpants and a t-shirt, and just as he was about to head out in search of Anastasia, he heard a light knock on his door.

 _That must be her_.

He didn't know why she would come to his door at this time, but nobody else ever visited him. He walked over and opened the door.

"Ana," Christian smiled, seeing her standing in the doorway. She had changed out of her dress and into some comfortable leggings and a tank top. "I was just about to go looking for you."

Ana smiled, though there was something in her eyes Christian couldn't really identify. "Well, I'm here," she said quietly, idly picking at something on her fingernail.

Christian gazed at her. "Is everything alright?" he asked, and immediately had déjà vu from last night, where she stood in his doorway in the same manner and he asked that exact same question.

Ana gazed up at him, the emotion in her eyes much more pronounced than before. Christian didn't know what to say, but all words seemed to evaporate as Ana suddenly moved forward and kissed him right on the lips.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, there will be some developments in Christian and Ana's relationship :)**

 **Be sure to check out my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	15. Be Happy

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Be Happy**

Everything in the world seemed to stop in its tracks as Ana suddenly moved forward and kissed Christian right on the lips, and he felt as if his heart would beat right out of his chest. When she had come to his door tonight, he hadn't expected her to do this - not that he was complaining though. After his initial shock, he immediately wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back, holding her close to him and reveling in the feel of her perfect lips against his. She responded by lifting her hands and threading her fingers through his hair, opening her mouth against his so their tongues met in a sensual kiss.

Christian didn't know why this was happening, but he didn't question it - he had wanted Ana like this again ever since their night together, and by God he wasn't going to pass it up. Instinctively, it seemed, Christian walked them backwards so they were further inside his room, and Ana seemed to read his mind as she kicked the door closed behind them.

"I want you Christian," Ana breathed against his lips, her lithe gorgeous body pressed up against him, and he became instantly hard.

 _Christ, I want her too._

Without a word, he pushed her up against the closed door and ravished her mouth, moving his hands up so they framed her face and his fingers tangled in her hair. She whimpered against him, moving her hands down to his waist and tugging at the hem of his shirt.

"Ana," Christian breathed, pulling back slightly only to meet her lips again in another kiss, and another. "Are you sure…" Kiss. "You want to do this?" Kiss kiss.

As much as he wanted her right now, Christian knew having sex with Ana again could have consequences. Their relationship would inevitably become more complicated, especially since his desire for her went beyond just sex. Christian wanted her to be absolutely sure this was what she wanted too.

"Yes," Ana whispered before kissing him back, clutching his shirt. "God yes… please, Christian."

Christian groaned with need as he brought his hands away from her face and brought them down to her ass, lifting her up in his arms and carrying her toward his bed. Ana instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, continuing to kiss him as she threaded her hands in his hair and bit his lower lip. Christian couldn't help but chuckle against her as he lowered her onto the bed.

"What is it?" Ana asked, giggling as Christian began to kiss her along her jawline.

"I was just thinking about that music video shoot," Christian muttered against her skin, skimming his lips down toward her neck. "You had tangled your fingers in my hair and bit my lip back then too. And then I did this…"

Christian nibbled on the pulse point of her neck, and Ana let out a breathless whimper.

"Oh yeah… I remember," Ana panted. "I loved shooting that video with you, but I have to confess… I only suggested you fill in for the missing model because I wanted an excuse to kiss you."

"Did you now?" Christian couldn't help but smile as he kissed her sternum, sliding down her body and tugging at the straps of her tank top. "I'm not sure I like being objectified like that, Ms. Steele. Do you really only like me for my body?"

Ana giggled as Christian pulled her tank top off, revealing her breasts. "It's definitely an advantage of keeping you around, Mr. Grey."

Christian smirked before moving his mouth up to suckle on her breast. Ana's body arched as his tongue laved over her nipple, and she mewled with pleasure. He worked at her breasts for a few minutes, moving from one to the other, before moving down her stomach toward the waist of her leggings. He began tugging them down, peeling them off her body like he was unwrapping a birthday gift, revealing the navy blue lace thong underneath.

Ana whimpered as Christian pulled off her leggings completely before running his hands up her thighs, gazing at her lace-covered center - she had had a Brazilian wax, and the scent of her arousal invaded his nostrils and made him practically desperate for her. Without further ado, Christian ripped her thong off her body and latched his mouth onto her clit, eating her out like a starving man.

Ana gasped with pleasure, throwing her head back and opening her legs wider for him, giving him purchase to wrap his arms around her thighs and hold her down. She immediately tangled her fingers in his hair and held him right where she wanted him. She looked beautiful as her gorgeous body arched and her breasts jutted up into the air; Christian couldn't resist sliding his hands up her waist toward her chest and grasping each breast in his hands, running his thumbs over her pert nipples as he continued to devour her pussy.

"Oh my God, Christian…" Ana moaned, removing her hands from his hair to grab two handfuls of the comforter she was lying on, clutching the material tightly in her fists. "Oh my God… I-I'm gonna…!"

A moment later Ana came loudly into his mouth, crying out and shuddering in pleasure as her orgasm overcame her. It was glorious, and Christian lapped up her juices like she was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted - in a flash, he got to his feet and ripped off his shirt, tossing it off to the side before pulling off his pants and boxer briefs, both of them now completely naked.

He moved back to the bed and crawled over Ana's body, where she was still shaking with the aftershocks of her orgasm, and he moved up to kiss her on the lips. She immediately kissed him back, sliding her arms up around his neck and holding him close.

"I want you, Ana," Christian whispered against her lips, feeling his throbbing erection close to the wet heat of her pussy. "Please… I need to be inside you."

"Yes," Ana panted against him, and he felt her bring her hand down to guide him to her center. "Please fuck me."

Christian pressed his lips against hers before pushing his way inside her, basking in the sensation of her tight pussy being wrapped around him like a warm wet fist. She felt just as amazing as she did that night they shared together, and just like that night, he was relieved he didn't have to use a condom. Ana was on the Depo shot, which he knew because he had taken her to her appointment only a few weeks ago - he hated using condoms, and he doubted he would have the presence of mind to remember one when Ana was naked and writhing underneath him.

"Fuck, Christian… faster," Ana gasped, and Christian obeyed, pistoning his hips even faster, and her breasts bounced to the speed of his thrusts. She cried out, clutching his biceps and digging her nails into his arms. Her legs were wrapped tightly around his waist, and Christian had to squeeze his eyes shut as the overwhelming pleasure of fucking her tight, perfect pussy washed over him.

He didn't want to come yet, but it was getting harder by the second.

"God, Ana," Christian hissed, leaning down to kiss and nibble at the juncture of her neck. "You feel so fucking good."

Ana simply moaned in response, moving one hand up to tangle in his hair while the other clutched at his lower back.

Christian continued to thrust into her, feeling both of them get closer and closer to the finish line. He had hoped to make her come at least one more time before he found his own release, but he wasn't sure how much longer he could last. She was so warm and soft and beautiful, and him holding off his orgasm would soon be a lost cause.

He reached a hand between them and rubbed at her clit, and she let out a keen of pleasure.

"Oh my God Christian! I-I'm so close… I…!" she stammered.

"Come for me, Ana," Christian grit out, rubbing her clit even faster, and after one drawn-out moment, she finally let go:

"AHHHHHH!" she cried out, coming loudly on his dick, and she spasmed while arching her back in pleasure. Christian groaned as he thrust into her several more times before coming deep inside her, her pussy squeezing him like a fist and milking him for all he was worth.

God, she felt so fucking good… Christian didn't ever want to pull out of her.

They both slowly came down from their orgasms, a full minute passing before their breathing started to even out. Christian's forehead was pressed against Ana's, and their breathless pants continued to pass through their lips. Christian tried to look into Ana's eyes, but she kept them closed, clearly exhausted from their physical exertions.

Christian wished he could keep his dick buried in her pussy forever, but he knew he couldn't. With a groan he pulled out of her, feeling the cool air on his wet dick as he rolled to the side so he was lying beside her on the bed.

The silence stretched between them for another long minute. Christian glanced over at Ana, wondering if she had fallen asleep, but her eyes were now open and staring at the ceiling with an unreadable expression on her face. Her cheeks were still flushed pink from their intense lovemaking, and her breathing was still evening out - she looked thoroughly well-fucked, and Christian had to hold back his satisfied smile.

The silence stretched between them, and Christian wondered what Ana was thinking. It was a bit awkward, with neither of them saying anything... was she okay with what happened between them? Or was she hoping for her mother to burst in and interrupt them like she did last time?

Several minutes ticked by, and Christian wanted to say something, but he didn't know what.

Ana suddenly sat up - Christian looked over at her, but she ignored him as she swung her legs off the side of the bed away from him and began to pick up her discarded clothing. Christian sat up too, frowning at her.

"Ana?" he asked, but she remained silent as she slipped her tank top back on over her torso. "Ana, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry," Ana said, finally turning to look at him, a grimace on her face that seemed utterly forced. "This was a mistake. Let's just pretend this never happened."

Christian just stared at her. She could have punched him the gut and it would have hurt less. "What?"

"I should really get back to my room," Ana went on quickly, grabbing her leggings and pulling them on sans panties. "I'm sorry for interrupting your evening. Have a good night."

She was going to leave, but Christian couldn't let her - not like this, when neither of them had addressed the obvious. He quickly glanced around the room for his own clothes, and saw his boxer briefs were only a few feet away from him. He jumped up off the bed to grab at them.

"Ana, wait," Christian said, slipping them on before hurrying after her. She was moving toward the door, but he reached it a split second before her and pushed his hand against it, holding it closed so she couldn't leave.

"Hey!" Ana snapped, tugging at the doorknob. "You can't keep me from leaving a room in my own house, Christian!"

"You're running away," he stated, not moving his hand from the door. "And you're avoiding me. You can't just leave without us talking about what happened."

"There's nothing to talk about," Ana said, though she avoided his gaze as she spoke. "It was a mistake. I have to go."

"Really?" Christian asked skeptically. He finally removed his hand from the door and placed both of them on her waist, holding her close to his body so she couldn't escape. "You really think what we did was a mistake? Because only a few minutes ago you were naked and screaming and begging for me to fuck you. Is that what you consider to be the mistake?"

Ana's entire face was bright red, and she was determinedly avoiding Christian's eyes as she gazed down at the floor. She wasn't pushing him away, however, which he took as a good sign.

"Ana, you're the one who came to my door tonight, and you're the one who practically jumped me before I could get two words out," Christian said. He couldn't help but smile slightly. "I'm not complaining or anything, but this is the second time you and I have slept together, and it's the second time you've avoided talking to me afterwards about it. Am I really just around to help you get your rocks off?"

"No," Ana said quickly. She shook her head and brought her hands up to bury her face in her palms. "I mean… I don't know. I-I didn't mean to sleep with you tonight, Christian. Honestly, I just came here to talk to you - that's all, I swear. But then I just… I don't know. I didn't mean it to happen. I don't know what came over me."

She pulled out of Christian's arms and walked over to the bed, bringing her hands away from her face and staring nervously at the wall. Christian could only watch her, a whole plethora of emotions filling his mind.

Was she really saying what he thought she was saying?

"Ana," Christian said, and when she didn't turn around, he walked toward her and took her arm. "Ana, please talk to me."

Ana looked over at him, and he was shocked to see tears filling her eyes. "What do you want me to say, Christian?" she asked helplessly. "I just screw up everything, and I make things way more complicated than they need to be. I don't know what the hell I'm doing, and I just find it easier to run away than to actually deal with what I'm feeling…"

"And what are you feeling, Anastasia?" Christian asked insistently, pulling her around so she was facing him. She wouldn't meet his gaze, but Christian grasped her by her upper arms, staring down at her. "Please tell me. I have to know… do you have feelings for me?"

His voice was steady, but his heart was pounding wildly in his chest, and a million thoughts were whirling about in his mind. He hadn't planned on being this direct with her, but he suspected he would never know unless he expressly asked her how she felt. The seconds ticked by as Ana remained silent.

Finally, she looked up into his eyes, her large blue irises glimmering with emotion as she stared at him. Slowly, she nodded.

"Yeah… I do," she said shakily, and Christian felt relief and joy rush over him like a tidal wave. He smiled at her. "But that's the problem," she went on quietly, and Christian's smile faded. "Nothing can ever happen between us."

"Why not?" Christian asked honestly. He brought his hand up and cupped her cheek in his palm, running his thumb along her soft skin; she closed her eyes at his touch. "I think it's pretty clear how I feel about you, Ana. And it's obvious we have great chemistry together… what's stopping us?"

"'What's stopping us'?" Ana repeated, opening her eyes and frowning at him. "What's stopping us is the fact that you're my employee, and that I'm a world-famous pop star who's constantly in the public eye. My fame would definitely play a contributing factor to our relationship, and that's not a world I ever want to bring you into."

"Then we won't tell anyone," Christian stated as if it were obvious. "What you and I do together is no one else's business anyway - why does anyone else have to know?"

"I wish it could be that simple," Ana said sadly. "But the whole world is fascinated with me and my personal life… even if we do intend to have a secret relationship, that secret is going to get out eventually. It's practically inevitable a tabloid piece is going to come out speculating about us."

Christian wanted to argue with her, but deep down he knew there was some truth to what she was saying. The public was relentlessly nosy when it came to celebrity culture, and he'd dealt with enough of the paparazzi as Ana's CPO to know that those vultures would go to any lengths to dig up dirt on her. The thought was sickening.

"Well, we can cross that bridge when we come to it," Christian said after a moment, reaching forward and wrapping his arms around her waist. He smiled softly at her. "Until then… I think the two of us would be worth the risk. Don't you agree?"

Ana gazed up at him, her hands resting on his biceps. Her eyes were filled with affection, but there was still a level of hesitation there that Christian didn't miss.

"Yeah, I do," she whispered, but after a moment her eyes lowered to his chest. "I never thought I'd meet someone like you, Christian. You're so…" she paused for a moment, thinking. "Genuine."

Her expression was a bit sad as she said that, and Christian realized what was weighing on her mind. With a small smile, he leaned down so his forehead rested against hers. "Is a part of you worried I only want to be with you because of your money and fame?"

Ana blinked before looking up at him, a frown on her face. "No, Christian," she said firmly. "Of course I don't think that about you."

"But it is something you worry about."

It wasn't a question, and Ana didn't correct him. She looked down toward his chest again, looking a bit forlorn. "Yeah," she murmured guiltily. "I'm sorry. It's not fair for me to think that about you. It's my issue, not yours."

"I understand, Ana," Christian assured her, running his hands along her hips. "I don't blame you for worrying about that kind of stuff. But I hope you know that your money and fame don't matter to me in the slightest. You could be a dirt poor hermit and I'd still think you were the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen in my life."

Ana let out a giggle, and she met his eyes again with a smile. "Really?" she asked, the happiness and humor shining in her eyes.

"Without a doubt," Christian said without hesitation. "You know, when you first offered me this job, I was kind of reluctant to take it."

"Really?" Ana looked surprised. "How come?"

"I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend all my time following around some girl who - for all I knew - was just some spoiled LA brat," Christian said honestly. "No amount of money in the world could have made me want to do that."

Ana smacked Christian on the arm, but she smiled at him all the same. "So you think I'm a spoiled brat?"

"No. I think the opposite, in fact," Christian grinned back at her. "Over the past two months, I've come to see how amazing and sweet and beautiful you are, inside and out. You truly care about other people, and the people you love, you love with your whole heart, completely and totally. You are a remarkable person, Ana, and I thank God everyday I accepted this job because otherwise I never would have met you."

Ana stared up at him, the wide smile on her face showing how touched she was by his words. She took his face in her hands and kissed him soundly on the lips, and Christian didn't hesitate to kiss her back. "That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me, Christian," she whispered, pulling back so she could stare into his eyes again, and smiled. "I feel like I can almost believe those things about myself too."

"Then I'll make it my mission in life to help you truly see how amazing you are," Christian said firmly, and Ana giggled. "If your millions of screaming fans can't convince you, then I guess I'll have to do it."

"You're off to a good start already, Mr. Grey," Ana whispered, moving her hands up so they threaded through his hair and the tip of her nose brushed up against his. "Maybe I need a little more convincing."

"Oh, Ms. Steele," Christian whispered, smiling against her. "I think I can do that for you."

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that :) Next chapter, Ana and Christian learn how to navigate a secret relationship with each other.**

 **Be sure to check out my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	16. Love Me Like You Do

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 16: Love Me Like You Do**

Much like that first night they spent together last week, Christian woke up this morning spooning Anastasia in his arms, her back to his front. The events of last night came back to him in a rush, and he couldn't help but smile as he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. She responded by snuggling deeper into his arms, letting out a small sigh in her sleep.

Christian almost couldn't believe Ana admitted she had feelings for him, and she had agreed to pursue a secret relationship with him - one that was going to be hidden from the public eye. The very thought made Christian's heart pound with happiness and anticipation for the future.

How on earth did an amazing, perfect girl like Anastasia wanted to be with _him_? This really felt too good to be true.

Ana shifted around in her sleep, turning over so that she was facing Christian, her eyes still closed as she cuddled into his chest. Christian tightened his arms around her, his heart filling with an affection he didn't know he possessed. He had never felt this way about a girl before… he didn't know what Ana was doing to him, but he knew he didn't want her to stop.

Ana let out a small contented sigh in her sleep, and Christian could only watch her, a warm smile spreading across his face. However, his smile faded after a moment as he thought a bit more about their situation… she had mentioned it briefly last night, but the two of them hadn't really talked about the fact that he, Christian, was still under her employment. Not only that, but since his job was to protect her from any immediate physical dangers, he was required to put his life on the line for her if necessary. As her boyfriend, he would gladly protect her from anyone that posed a threat to her… but could he really fill both roles at the same time?

Was he okay with being her boyfriend and her subordinate at the same time?

Before he could think about it too much, he felt Ana begin to stir awake in his arms. She yawned widely, and Christian couldn't resist leaning down to kiss the crown of her head. Ana smiled before opening her eyes, looking up at him.

"Mm, good morning," she hummed. "I could get used to waking up like this."

"Me too," Christian chuckled, running a hand along her naked waist. "We have to get up soon for our workout."

Ana glanced at the alarm clock on his bedside table. "Not for another twenty minutes we don't," she said, looking back over at him and giving him a sly smile. "What do you think we can do to fill up that time?"

Christian smiled back at her, and without a word he rolled over so he was on top of her, his mouth covering hers in a passionate kiss.

~/~

The two of them were a little late doing their morning workout, but thankfully Ana only had a couple errands to run today that weren't vitally important, therefore it wasn't a huge deal they weren't on time. Christian struggled to keep his eyes off of Ana as they worked out in the fitness room - watching her jog on the treadmill in her tight pink sports bra and her skintight gray patterned leggings was almost too much to handle. She always looked gorgeous when she was in her workout gear, but now he was allowed to openly stare at her… it was like a dream come true. She made a show of openly staring at him too, especially since he had opted to go shirtless today, knowing the sight of his half-naked body would distract her.

When the two of them finally went down to breakfast together, Carla was sitting at the breakfast counter and texting on her smartphone, as per usual.

"Good morning Ana," she said, glancing up at her daughter before looking down at her watch. "You're running a bit late this morning."

"Yeah, we were a bit longer in the fitness room than usual," Ana lied, exchanging a knowing smile with Christian. "Do you know what's on the docket today?"

"We just have a meeting with Max today in an hour," Carla said. "Aside from that, though, there isn't much for you to do today. Your workload this week is actually pretty light… if you want, I can schedule some PR stuff for you for the Fatal Attraction music video. It's debuting next week, so running a few stories about it now would be a good idea."

"We've already done a bunch of PR stuff for Fatal Attraction," Ana said dismissively, walking over to the fruit bowl on the counter and grabbing a pear. "And besides, I want to keep an open schedule for the next few weeks so I can spend more time with Dad - you know that."

Carla didn't say anything for a moment. "Hmm," she said, pursing her lips slightly. She clearly disapproved of her daughter working less, but didn't say anything else about it.

At that moment, Ray came walking downstairs and headed toward the kitchen. Carla saw him and got to her feet.

"I'll be in the living room whenever you're ready to go," Carla said to Ana, and made her way toward the corridor, passing Ray without acknowledging him. Ray didn't seem to care as he walked into the kitchen, smiling over at his daughter.

"Hey Annie - Christian," he greeted the two of them. He looked more tired than Christian had ever seen him before, with bags under his eyes and a more sallow complexion. Ana seemed to notice as she frowned at her father.

"Hey Daddy… are you feeling okay?" she asked worriedly, walking over to him.

"I feel fine darling. I'm just a little tired," he said reassuringly, though there was clear fatigue in his voice. "Those meds the doctor gave me really knock me for a loop."

"Do you have any other symptoms?" Ana asked with a concerned frown. "Stomach pain or nausea? The doctor said those were possibilities too…"

"I have a little nausea here and there, but nothing too bad," Ray said. "I'll be sure to let you know if it gets worse."

"Take it easy today, alright?" Ana said, rubbing Ray's arm. "I have to go to a meeting with Mom today, but I'll be back by this afternoon. I can check up on you then."

"I'll be fine, sweetheart," Ray assured her with a weak smile. "I've dealt with much worse than this, but I promise to take it easy today."

"Good," Ana smiled, leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek. "I'll see you in a few hours."

She walked past him toward Christian, and she gave him a pointed look. Before he could ask, she took him by the arm and led him a few feet away.

"Hey, Christian could you -?"

"I'll give your father my phone number and Max's number in case of an emergency," Christian interrupted her. "And if Ray calls at any point during your meeting, I'll come straight here in case he needs anything or take him to the doctor."

Ana gazed at him, clearly amazed that he knew what she was going to ask. "You are absolutely incredible, Mr. Grey."

She suddenly moved forward and kissed him right on the lips, much to his surprise. She grasped his face in her hands, and Christian instinctively kissed her back, unable to help smiling against her - she pulled back, and he felt a bit embarrassed since he was quite sure Ray had seen them.

"You're not doing a very good job at keeping our new relationship very secret, Ms. Steele," Christian said jokingly, and Ana smiled back at him.

"I don't care," she said firmly, leaning forward and pecking him on the lips one more time. "I'll talk to my dad about giving him your number, and then we can go. Alright?"

"Sounds good."

Ana nodded before turning around and heading over to her father, who had been looking at them throughout their whole exchange. Feeling embarrassed, Christian quickly turned and headed toward his bedroom upstairs, where he would grab his things before heading out.

* * *

 **~The following week~**

The next few days passed by rather normally, but Ray was still rather sick, fatigue and nausea being a side effect of the chemo and some of his other medications. While Ray himself seemed to be in good spirits, Ana seemed to constantly worry about him. She was already cutting down her workload, and whenever she felt that her dad needed her at home with him, she would cancel meetings or interviews to be with him. This endlessly annoyed Carla, but Ana didn't seem to care at all - Christian sometimes wondered if Ana simply cancelled on things just to spite her mother.

Christian didn't mind that Ana was working less over the next few days, especially since the time she wasn't spending with her dad she seemed to want to spend with him. The two of them had spent many happy nights together, usually in his room cuddling on his bed and watching Netflix. When they weren't doing that, they were either hanging out together in the game room playing pool or one of the other arcade games she had, or they were in the backyard lounging around the swimming pool and patio.

While they hadn't told the others in the house they were dating, everyone probably guess what was going on between Ana and Christian just by observing their constant displays of affection. Christian couldn't help it though - Ana was so sexy and beautiful, and she seemed just as drawn to him as he was to her. He didn't think he could ever take his hands off of her.

He also really liked the fact that they both lived under the same roof. At the end of the day, one of them always ended up in the other's bed… something Christian could definitely get used to.

By Friday morning, Ray seemed to be doing a lot better. He had gotten a good night's sleep, and the medication wasn't making him as nauseous anymore. Ana, as usual, wanted to stick around at home with him today, but he kept insisting she should go out and do something without him.

"You've been cooped up in this house with me for the past week, Annie," Ray insisted as he, Ana, and Christian sat around the breakfast bar, eating the breakfast Tom had cooked up for them. "Why don't you and Christian go out and do something together? I'm sure the two of you would like to go out and have a real date instead of just hanging around here everyday."

Ray was well aware that Ana and Christian were a couple. While Christian was initially embarrassed that his girlfriend's father knew they were dating, Ray seemed genuinely happy for the two of them, and Ana never wanted to keep secrets from her dad.

"We're not telling anyone about us yet, Daddy," Ana reminded her father, taking a bite of her egg white omelette. "We can't exactly go out on a date together where some paparazzi might see us."

"I'm not saying you two need to go around holding hands or anything," Ray said. "Christian's been your bodyguard for the past couple months, so the two of you going out together wouldn't look too conspicuous."

Ana looked thoughtful for a moment, as if considering what her father said. "Well, there is that new boutique out in Santa Monica I've been wanting to check out." She turned to grin over at Christian. "Feel like taking me shopping today?"

Christian grinned. "Sure, if I can borrow your credit card."

Ray and Ana both laughed at that, and the three of them continued to chat for the rest of breakfast before Ana and Christian headed out for their shopping day trip.

~/~

The Santa Monica promenade was bustling with activity, as was usual for this part of the city near the beach. It was a beautiful sunny day out today, and the pier was filled with families of small children going on all the rides and visiting the beautiful attractions. The local stores and boutiques were filled with shoppers looking at all the clothing and trinkets, and Ana and Christian were able to blend in quite easily with the crowds of people. Ana had her hair tied back in a cute side braid today while large aviator sunglasses covered her eyes; a simple blue polka-dot romper and flip flops allowed her to blend in with all the fashionable crowds of people, though she didn't go unnoticed by some starstruck fans.

"Oh my God, Anastasia - I love you _so_ much!" A thirteen-year-old girl squealed after she and her friend took a selfie with her. "And I can't wait for Fatal Attraction to come out tomorrow!"

"I know, me neither!" Ana said, looking just as enthusiastic. "We worked _really_ hard on it - I just know it's going to be great."

The three of them chatted for another minute or so before Ana rejoined Christian.

"Ready to keep shopping?" Christian asked, smirking as they made their way through the crowds. "Or do you have another adoring fan you need to stop for?"

"Hey, don't hate me for being famous and beautiful," Ana said, raising her chin and flipping her hair back haughtily. They both laughed.

"Still, do you think it would be nice to just go out for a shopping trip without getting recognized?" Christian asked her, glancing around at the people passing them who were giving Ana eager and excited looks.

"Honestly, that sounds like heaven," Ana said, quietly enough so that nobody around them heard her say that. "I could finally get some shopping done in peace."

The two of them continued to walk down the promenade, getting stopped every once in awhile by fans. Ana took it all in stride, as she usually did with stuff like this, and Christian made sure to keep an eye on her the entire time.

"I think I'm going to duck in here to run to the bathroom," Ana said, stopping in front of a small boutique. She handed her shopping bags to Christian. "I'll just be a minute."

"Okay."

She turned and walked inside the shop while Christian waited outside by the door, her shopping bags set at his feet. He leaned against the side of the building and pulled out his phone, checking his messages as he waited for her. He ignored the crowds of people bustling past him in every direction.

"Christian?"

Christian glanced up when he heard his name, and froze when he realized who was now standing in front of him. Susannah was here, wearing jean capris and a black t-shirt while holding hands with a good-looking muscular man in a tank top and board shorts.

"Susannah," Christian said in surprise, glancing between her and the guy. "Hi."

"Hi," she said, smiling widely at him. She let go of the guy's hand so she could walk forward and hug Christian hello. "Well, this is a surprise! I didn't know you shopped out here."

"Um - I don't, usually," Christian said, awkwardly hugging her back before she pulled away. "My friend's just using the bathroom. She'll be back in a moment."

"Oh," Susannah nodded, her smile faltering slightly as she turned to the other guy. "Okay, well… I guess I should introduce you guys. Christian, this is my boyfriend Peter. Peter, this is an old friend of mine, Christian."

"Hey," Peter stepped forward and held out his hand before grasping Christian's in a tight grip. The guy was clearly aware of who Christian was to Susannah, and was sizing him up.

"Er, nice to meet you," Christian said politely, pulling his hand out of Peter's grip before he squeezed all his fingers off.

"Peter and I have just been having the _best_ day walking along the promenade," Susannah said enthusiastically, putting her arm around Peter's waist and smiling up at him. "You know it really is a gorgeous day to spend outside."

"Definitely," Christian agreed, wishing they would leave so they could end this awkward conversation.

"Hey there."

Ana had finally reemerged from the bathroom and walked over to Christian's side, smiling up at him. Christian smiled back at her, having never been happier to see her in his entire life.

"Hey," he said before looking back up at Susannah and Peter, who were gaping at her in utter shock. "Ana, this is Susannah and her boyfriend Peter."

"Hi, nice to meet you," Ana smiled at them, holding out her hand to shake. Susannah and Peter could only stare at her in shock before Susannah slowly reached out and took her hand in her own.

"Oh my God, you're Anastasia," she blurted out before blushing, pulling her hand back in embarrassment.

"I can't believe it," Peter stated, his eyes wide as he stared at Ana too.

"Yeah, that's me," Ana giggled modestly, smiling over at Christian. "Christian and I have been out shopping together all day today, but it's kind of difficult since I keep getting recognized."

Susannah blinked bemusedly, looking between her and Christian. "So you two are…?"

"Dating? Yeah, we are," Ana said, looking over at Christian and smiling at him. He smiled back at her. "We're keeping it under wraps, though. The last thing we want is a bunch of media outlets and paparazzi breathing down our necks."

"Oh," Susannah said, still looking flabbergasted. "Wow, um… I-I wasn't expecting you two to… well…" she stammered. "S-so how did you guys meet?"

"Oh, he did security for one of my Dior photoshoots," Ana explained. "He protected me from a few overly-excited fans, and we've been inseparable ever since." She glanced between Susannah and Christian curiously. "The two of you used to date, didn't you?"

Christian nodded. "Yeah, we did. About a year ago."

"Wow. Well I don't know how you let this one go, Susannah," Ana said, reaching over to hook her arm through Christian's elbow, smiling adoringly up at him. "Christian here is a real keeper."

"But didn't you just break up with that Colton West dude?" Peter suddenly blurted out, staring at Ana as if transfixed.

"Yeah, I did," Ana nodded rather solemnly, taking her hand out of Christian's arm. "That breakup was pretty rough, I admit. But at the end of the day, we should be with the person we want to be with. That was Christian for me."

She smiled up at him again, and Christian couldn't help but smile back, his heart hammering in his chest. He knew she was playing it up for Susannah's benefit, but a part of him couldn't help but hope she meant what she said.

"…And since now you two know that Christian and I are dating," Ana went on, turning to look back over at Susannah. "I can trust you won't go running to the media with an exposé about us?"

"Oh no, of course not," Peter insisted.

"We wouldn't dream of it," Susannah said emphatically.

"That's good to hear," Ana smiled sweetly. "It's just that so many people think they can run to the tabloids with a story about me because they can make a quick buck. They just can't figure out that I have high connections to some very powerful people in this industry that could ruin them in the blink of an eye. Especially if those same people choose to target someone I care about very much."

She was clearly giving Susannah a subtle warning - something that was not lost on the other woman. "W-we promise, we won't say anything about you two to anyone," she said nervously.

"I know that. I trust you guys," Ana smiled at her assuredly. "But I'm sure the two of you want to get on with your date now. Don't let us keep you."

They said their goodbyes, with Peter quickly asking Anastasia for a selfie before they left. She graciously took a picture with them before they walked away, and Christian couldn't help but watch them leave with some amusement.

"You enjoyed that, didn't you?" he asked, turning to look at Ana. She shrugged slightly with a coy smile.

"What can I say? I'm a jealous girlfriend," she said, glancing up at him. "Why don't you carry my bags for me, _boyfriend_ , while I continue to shop along the promenade?"

"That's what I'm here for," Christian smirked, picking up her shopping bags and following her down the street.

* * *

 **A/N: Couldn't resist writing a chapter showing off Christian's new superstar girlfriend to his ex ;) lol**

 **Unfortunately, I've been having some pretty severe tooth pain for the past week or so, and I've been talking to my dentist about possible causes and treatments. Until I can get some relief, it looks like the pain is going to persist for awhile :( Please forgive me if I don't update regularly for the foreseeable future - being in pain doesn't really lend itself to good writing.**

 **If you aren't doing so already, be sure to follow my Pinterest board for this story at www pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	17. New Relationships

**A/N: Thank you all for your love and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 17: New Relationships**

"Just one more. Come on, you can do it!"

Ana grunted as she bench-pressed the 100-pound barbell one more time, her teeth clenched and sweat rolling down her face as she shakily pushed it up and away from her body. Christian, who was spotting her, quickly picked up the barbell and set it back on the rack.

"Great job, Ana - twenty reps is the best you've ever done," he congratulated her. Ana lay back on the bench, panting as her arms lay uselessly at her sides.

"Thanks," she said breathlessly, sitting up heavily on the bench while rubbing her left bicep. "Wow, my arms hurt. I think I'm done working out for the day."

"I know you're tired, but we should do some cool down stretches before we finish up," Christian said. "It'll keep your muscles from locking up."

"Mm, I think we can skip a day," Ana said, smiling up at Christian. "I have a sexy new boyfriend to help keep me limber, after all."

"Do you now?" he asked with a slow smile. He helped her to her feet before putting his hands on her waist. She placed her hands on his chest. "Well, since you seem to have such a sexy boyfriend, I guess you don't need me anymore."

"No, I suppose I don't," she smiled humorously, leaning forward to kiss him on the lips. Christian immediately kissed her back, pulling her closer as her arms moved up to wrap around his neck. They continued to make out for a minute or so before they heard someone clearing their throat.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Christian and Ana broke apart, noticing Carla standing in the doorway of the fitness room. She was leaning against the door frame and watching them with her arms crossed in front of her chest, gazing at them with her eyebrows raised.

"What do you want, Mom?" Ana asked resignedly, pulling away from Christian and looking at her mother.

"I need to talk to you guys," Carla said, glancing over at Christian. "I'll meet you down in the kitchen in ten minutes."

Without waiting for a response, she turned around and walked away toward the staircase. Ana rolled her eyes before turning back to Christian.

"We should probably go," she said, grimacing. "I don't really want to talk to her, but I suppose we have to."

Christian took her chin in his hand and tilted her head up so she was looking at him. He smiled at her. "Let's go get changed, and I'll meet you downstairs. Okay?"

Ana smiled back at him affectionately, and she leaned up to kiss him on the lips. "Okay."

~/~

The kitchen smelled deliciously of basil and tomato when Ana and Christian entered - Carla wasn't there, but they saw Tom standing by the stove and stirring something in a frying pan. It looked like a scrambled egg skillet with diced tomatoes and some other italian spices mixed in.

"Smells great, Tom," Ana smiled at her chef, and he smiled back at her.

" _Grazie_ , Anastasia," Tom said graciously.

"Ana, the American Music Awards are next week," Carla said from behind them, her heels clicking on the marble floors as she walked in from the lounge while texting on her phone. "Your album _Love & Consequences _has been nominated, and since you're not on your tour at the moment, I'd like you to attend."

"Sure," Ana said, sitting down at the breakfast counter. "I was planning on going anyway. Is that what you wanted to talk about?"

Carla glanced up from her phone. "I want you to attend with a date."

Ana's face fell into a hard expression as she frowned. "Mom…"

"I know that you just broke up with Colton, and you probably aren't thinking about putting yourself out there again, but I promise this will just be a one-time thing," Carla said firmly, sitting across from her daughter at the breakfast bar. "There's been some rumors floating around social media about you and Chris Martin from _Coldplay_ , but I've been in talks with the actor Eoin Macken's people, and Eoin would be willing to go with you to the awards show just for the night."

"No, Mom," Ana said firmly. "First of all, both those guys are like ten years older than me - it would be weird if I went with either of them on a date. Second of all, I don't need to go with anyone."

"Just for the red carpet that's mostly true," Carla agreed. "I'm talking about the awards show and the after party. Those you can't attend stag, and we want to drum up conversation about your personal life amongst the general public. Everyone is going to be speculating online about the handsome, famous guy you're seeing in secret."

"I'm already seeing someone, though," Ana said, glancing over at Christian sitting beside her. They smiled at each other. "I'm seeing Christian."

Carla cast a dismissive glance over at Christian. "He can't come with you to the awards show."

Ana frowned back over at her mother. "I know that. He's not coming with me, which is why I said I can just go alone. What's the big deal?"

"Come on, darling - it's just for one night," Carla insisted. "You don't have to actually date whoever you're going with. It's just a PR thing, I promise."

"I don't want to do a PR thing," Ana said angrily. "Why can't I just go to an awards show by myself and not have it be a big deal?"

"You're _Anastasia_ , darling. Everything you do is a big deal to the public," Carla stated.

Ray then made his way down the stairs and toward the kitchen. Ana looked at him before smiling widely, an idea clearly springing into her mind.

"I'll take Dad."

Ray stopped in his tracks before looking between Ana and Carla. "What?"

"You want to take Ray to the American Music Awards?" Carla asked, frowning incredulously.

"Yeah. Why not?" Ana said, slipping off her seat and walking over to Ray. "The public already knows that I took time off from my tour to be with him. They'll think it's sweet… plus I'd love to take him with me."

"Really?" Ray asked, a smile crossing his face. "You want to take me to an awards show?"

"Yeah, I do. It'll be next week, and if you're not feeling up to it because of your chemo, of course I won't force you to go…"

"No, I've actually been feeling a lot better lately," Ray said. "I'd love to attend the awards show with you."

"Yay!" Ana said excitedly, hooking her arm thought her father's elbow. "We're going to have so much fun."

"You're really going to take your father to the awards show?" Carla said angrily, walking toward them. "Ana, that's completely ridiculous! Who on earth would take a family member to an event like this?"

"Taylor Swift brought her brother to the Grammy's one year," Ana stated, shooting her mother a cold look. "And Jennifer Lawrence brought along her parents when she was nominated for a SAG Award. The media loves it when celebrities do things like this with their family members, and I thought you were all over the idea of more media attention for me."

Carla didn't say anything for a moment, though she cast a disgruntled glance over at Christian as if this was all his fault. "Ugh - fine, do whatever you want," she grit out before turning on her heel and stalking away.

Ana rolled her eyes once she was gone. "Ignore her. I think this is a great idea."

"Me too," Ray smiled over at his daughter.

Christian couldn't help but smile too. He understood it wasn't really an option for him and Ana to go to a public event like an awards show together, so he was glad she could at least go with Ray. Honestly, he was just happy Carla didn't get her way and get Ana to take a famous actor or musician with her as a date - he suspected she wanted to manipulate Ana into ditching him so she could then pursue a relationship with a new A-list celebrity.

The thought pissed him off, especially since he knew Carla would try that shit again sometime soon.

"Breakfast!" Tom suddenly called out, setting the plates of breakfast skillet onto the counter. Ana and Ray walked over so they could eat.

* * *

 **~The following week~**

 _ **The annual AMA Awards coming to you live from Los Angeles, California!**_

"We're hanging out in the Sabrina Lounge right now, and we have Janelle Monae looking gorgeous in red pants and a fitted tuxedo blazer while rocking the new Balenciaga hat from their latest collection. We're gonna hear all about her latest album in a minute, but first we'll hear from Brittany out on the red carpet. Brit, how's it going out there?"

"We're doing great here, Alex," a blonde girl in a strapless red dress grinned at the camera, holding a microphone up to her mouth. Hundreds of celebrities, musicians, and photographers milled around the red carpet, and a wall covered in the Sirius XM Radio logo served as a backdrop. "We've seen lots of artists and musicians already that have been nominated for awards tonight, and right now I'm standing here with none other than Anastasia and her handsome date for the evening - her father, Raymond. How are you guys doing?"

"We're doing wonderful," Ana smiled happily.

"That's great," Brittany smiled back. "And you look gorgeous, by the way. Now tell us, who are you wearing?"

"Well, I'm wearing an Alexander McQueen off-the-shoulder silk gown in emerald green," Anastasia explained, gesturing to her elegant looking cocktail dress. "I _love_ this material - it's super soft and comfortable. And my dad here is wearing an Ike Behar tuxedo."

"Well you both look fabulous. Raymond - how do you like being here with your daughter for the awards show?"

"It's incredible," Ray smiled over at Ana, and she smiled back at him. "I was so touched when she asked me if I'd go with her after she got a nomination, and I knew I couldn't pass up an opportunity to experience this awards show by her side. So far, it's been really spectacular."

"Well, with your daughter's massive success in the music industry, I'm sure you're a pretty proud papa right about now," Brittany smiled indulgently at him.

"Oh, absolutely. I've always been extremely proud of Anastasia and everything she's accomplished in her music career," Ray said emphatically. "No matter what happens tonight, I'll always be proud of her."

Ana smiled at Ray before hooking her hand through his elbow, leaning against his side, and Ray smiled back at her.

"You guys are too adorable," Brittany gushed, and they both laughed. "Anastasia, I hope you and your father enjoy the awards show tonight, and best of luck to you and your nominated album _Love & Consequences_."

"Thank you so much," Ana smiled genuinely before she and Ray walked off with the rest of the people making their way down the red carpet.

~/~

Back at Ana's house, Christian and a few others were sitting in the living room, watching Ana and Ray getting interviewed on TV.

"Oh my gosh, Ana and her dad look _so_ cute together," Vivian smiled giddily, sitting cross-legged in the armchair as she gazed at the TV screen. She was snacking on a large bowl of popcorn set in her lap. "I _love_ that dress on her."

"This really was a perfect PR move on Ana's part," Trey noted as he sat on the couch beside Christian, holding a tablet in his hand and tapping something on it. "People are going to be talking about her and her dad attending the AMA's together for days."

"Could you tell that to Carla?" Vivian asked, rolling her eyes. "She's been sulking for days because Ana didn't want to bring an actual date to the awards show."

Trey simply chuckled, knowing there was no way they could talk sense into someone like Carla. "I doubt she'd listen."

His phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out. "Oh, my Uber's here. I should probably head out now - I got a meeting in half an hour."

"What? No, c'mon Trey," Vivian pretended to pout. "Tom's making margaritas right now. It's gonna be a party up in here!"

"Maybe another time," Trey chuckled, getting to his feet and grabbing his leather jacket. "Let me know if Ana wins, alright?"

He waved goodbye before walking out, leaving Vivian and Christian alone together. Vivian smirked over at Christian.

"Too bad he left. Drunk Trey is hilarious," she said, turning back to the TV and popping another piece of popcorn into her mouth. "He gets really mopey and then argues with people over the dumbest shit. Last time, he got into a huge argument with some guy about a cloud he thought looked more like a square than a circle."

Christian chuckled incredulously. "Wow."

"I know, right? But we love him anyway," Vivian rolled her eyes amusedly before giving Christian an inquisitive glance. "It must be weird for you to be here while Ana's at the awards show, isn't it?"

"Yeah, a bit," Christian nodded. "She's with her dad though, and there's already tons of security measures at the AMA's, so my being there is pretty unnecessary."

"Well, yeah I guess," Vivian shrugged. "But I meant more like it must be weird for you since you're not there with her as her date."

Christian didn't respond to that, though he felt his heart rate increase at the thought of Vivian knowing about him and Ana. How much did she know about their relationship? Vivian saw the expression on his face and laughed.

"Oh come on, seriously? Everybody in the this house can see the way you two look at each other," she said with a grin. "Why are you being so coy about it?"

Christian shrugged slightly. "I don't know… I guess I'm not sure how Ana feels about everyone knowing about us. And I wasn't aware of how much you already knew."

"It's not exactly rocket science to figure out that two people I'm around all the time are sleeping together," Vivian said with an eyeroll, though she smiled. "Besides, I've been working with Ana for almost two years now and I've never seen her as happy as she's been these past couple weeks with you."

Christian's eyebrows raised as he glanced up at her, a smile breaking out across his face. "Really?"

"Really," Vivian nodded, smiling genuinely at him. "It's nice to see, honestly. Ana's such a great person, and she deserves to be happy. Anyone that can make her smile like that is alright with me."

"Thanks," Christian said sincerely, surprised yet flattered by her kind words. "And I agree - Ana really is a great person."

"I also knew that Colton never really made her happy," Vivian went on, shaking her head. "He may have been insanely hot, but he was a real douchebag to her. Ana deserves someone who treats her well and makes her happy… and honestly, I'm kinda glad that ended up being you and not some other A-list actor."

Vivian turned her gaze to Christian again. "I just wonder if your situation with her will get too complicated, though. Have you two talked about the fact that you're her employee and she's your boss?"

Christian hesitated, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "It came up once, but neither of us have really talked about it."

"It's best to get that shit out in the open," Vivian said wisely. "Everything may be all fine and good now, but down the road things might not be as happy. The power dynamic between you two is gonna be all messed up, and things will fall apart sooner rather than later unless the two of you set some ground rules."

Christian frowned, unsure of what to say to that. She spoke with a certain authority that made him curious. "Have you been in a relationship like that before?"

"Hey, I don't kiss and tell," Vivian winked, grinning coquettishly. "But in all truthfulness, I've seen a lot of my girlfriends who work assistant jobs like me striking up relationships or affairs with high-ranking businessmen in the music industry. It can start out as illicit and fun, but it always ends the same way - with him treating her like a piece of meat, and her realizing she had been too blinded by all his money and power to see clearly. It never ends well, and it's always messy."

"I'm not -" Christian began, but Vivian interrupted:

"I know that you're not some starstruck groupie," she said. "And I know that Ana isn't going to treat you like garbage. But the different power dynamics are still there, and I think it would be a good idea for you two to address them. That's all."

She didn't say anything after that, and Christian remained silent. He had honestly wondered if his position as Ana's employee would become an issue in their relationship, but he had forced himself to not think about it too much. Would that be a mistake, however? Did his and Ana's future happiness depend on them talking about this with each other?

"Margaritas are ready," Tom suddenly announced, walking into the living room.

"Nice," Vivian said happily, picking up the bowl of popcorn and getting to her feet. "Want one Christian?"

"No thanks," he said, and he just watched as Vivian and Tom walked away down the hallway, feeling a pit grow in his stomach.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, Christian and Ana have a little chat about their relationship.**

 **Make sure you're following my Pinterest board for my story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	18. After Hours

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 18: After Hours**

"To our first official father-daughter date."

Ana giggled as she and Ray toasted and clinked glasses of sparkling cider in the backseat of their limo. It was about one o'clock in the morning now, and the two of them were coming back from the AMAs. Ana had lost the Best Album award to Adele this year, but even so it had been an amazing night, and Ana almost wished it didn't have to end. She got to talk to and hang out with lots of musicians at the after party, and all of them seemed to want to get a picture with her and her dad. The two of them ended up leaving a bit early since Ray was feeling a bit weak from his medication, but Ana was okay with that. It had been a magical night, and she was just happy she got to spend it with her dad.

"Man, I'm tired," Ray yawned, setting his glass of cider into the cupholder. "Are we almost home?"

"We'll be there in a couple minute," Ana said, recognizing her street the driver just turned onto. "I know you're tired right now, but I hope you still had fun today."

"Are you kidding? Today was absolutely amazing," Ray insisted, smiling over at Ana. "I know I'm never going to forget it for as long as I live. Thank you so much for taking me."

"Of course," Ana smiled back. "There's no one else I would've rather gone with."

The driver pulled up onto Ana's driveway, and her parked before getting out of the car and opening the back door for Ana and Ray. They thanked him before stepping out of the car and walking toward the front door together.

Ana and Ray went upstairs together before saying goodnight and going their separate ways. Ana went into her bedroom and closed the door quietly behind her, noticing even in the darkness that her bed was empty. That meant Christian was sleeping in his room tonight.

 _Perfect_.

Smiling to herself, Ana slipped out of her green silk gown and put on a pair of pink pajama shorts and a tank top, no bra. She then went into her en suite and pulled out the bobby pins from her updo before grabbing a makeup wipe and taking off her makeup, which had been done by a professional before the AMAs. Once she was clean and barefaced, she gazed at herself in the mirror - she normally didn't like the way she looked without makeup on, but Christian seemed to like her just the way she was. She couldn't help but smile as she gazed at herself.

Ana soon stepped out of her bedroom and into the dark and silent hallway. She quietly padded down the hall toward Christian's room, and silently turned the knob, opening the door. She smiled when she saw him lying fast asleep under the covers on his bed, the moonlight filtering in through the window and illuminating his handsome face.

Ana stepped inside the room and closed the door behind her. Tiptoeing quietly over to him, she pulled back the covers and slipped into the bed beside him, cuddling up against his side. Christian didn't wake up, but he instinctively rolled over and wrapped his arm around Ana's waist. Ana couldn't help but smile as she snuggled into his embrace, resting her head beside his on the pillow.

Leaning forward, she lightly pressed her lips against his before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Hours later, Ana roused from her sleep at the sound of Christian's deep chuckle from beside her. She blearily blinked open her eyes, seeing him awake and looking at something on his phone while smiling.

"Hey," Ana whispered, yawning sleepily.

"Hey baby," Christian turned his head toward Ana. "Sorry, I was just checking my messages. Look at this text my sister sent me last night."

Ana rubbed the sleepiness out of her eyes before blinking, squinting at the screen of Christian's cell phone.

 _ **Mia**_ _: I just watched the music video for Anastasia's song Fatal Attraction and I SWEAR the guy in the vid looks just like you! It's soooo weird, check it out!_

Ana couldn't help but giggle. "That's funny. Did you text her back?"

"Not yet, but I kind of want to just respond with 'He looks nothing like me'," Christian said, setting his phone back onto the bedside table.

"Yeah, that guy was _way_ more attractive than you," Ana giggled, closing her eyes and snuggling up against Christian's side.

"Ouch," Christian smirked, pulling her closer to him. "So how was the AMAs last night with your dad?"

"Oh, it was so much fun," Ana smiled widely, her eyes still closed. "Everyone loved meeting my dad, and I know that he had a great time too. He got to take a picture with Michael Buble, which made him really happy."

"I'm glad," Christian chuckled. "Sounds like you guys had a good time."

"We did, although part of me wishes you could have been the one to come with me instead."

Christian didn't say anything for a moment. Ana opened her eyes and saw him gazing at something on the opposite wall, his expression unreadable. He glanced back down at Ana and grimaced.

"Yeah, me too," he said quietly. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

"Oh," Ana said quietly. "About what?"

Christian sighed. "Just about our situation, I guess. How I'm your CPO and you're technically my employer."

Ana was fully awake now, and she lifted her head slightly. "Yeah?"

"Yeah" he said, frowning slightly. "I mean… are you okay with it? That I'm your employee and also your boyfriend?"

"I don't have a problem with it," Ana shrugged. "Are you afraid I'm going to withhold your salary from you if you don't put out?"

Christian smiled slightly. "Well now that you mention it…"

Ana nudged his arm, smirking. "Christian, seriously - you know that I'd never do that to you. When we're out in public we're employer and employee, but when we're here at home, we're boyfriend and girlfriend."

Christian didn't smile back. "But I'm only staying here because you hired me as your CPO, right?"

Ana frowned, concern creeping into her chest. "What are you saying?"

"I'm just saying that I'm in a weird position," Christian said, bringing his hand up and running his fingers through his messy hair. "I'm filling both roles of being your CPO and your boyfriend… I don't know if our relationship is going to affect how we work together, that's all."

Ana softened slightly, and she couldn't help but smile. "Christian, I'm glad that you're thinking about our future together, but I promise you we'll be fine. We've been doing well so far, I don't see any reason why we should stop."

"But it'll only be a matter of time, won't it?" Christian asked. "What if you and I get in a fight or something, and it affects my job protecting you? I never want to put you at risk like that."

Ana felt slightly taken aback. "Are you planning on getting in a fight with me?"

"No, of course not," Christian said earnestly. He hesitated a moment or two before letting out a sigh, reaching a hand forward and tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "I just don't want my feelings for you to compromise my job. It's something I worry about… a lot, actually."

"Christian," Ana whispered. His hand was by her face, and she reached up to hold his palm against her cheek. "Where is this all coming from?"

He sighed again. "I suppose it's something I've always kept in the back of my mind, but yesterday I was talking to Vivian and she made a point of how destructive different power dynamics in a relationship can be. I feel like she might be right."

"I'm sorry, what?" Ana asked, suddenly getting out of bed and onto her feet, her heart pounding. "You're saying you think our relationship is destructive?"

She had a sudden urge to call up Vivian this moment to scream at her, and Christian's eyes widened with shock.

"No, of course not!" he insisted. "Ana, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me - truly, I mean that from the bottom of my heart."

He spoke so sincerely, but Ana ignored the flutter in her stomach his words caused. "But clearly something _is_ wrong. Why don't you just tell me what your problem is?"

"The problem is that I'm your employee _and_ your boyfriend," Christian said insistently, getting to his feet and walking around the bed so he was standing in front of her. Ana refused to meet his eyes. "Our relationship started out as employer and employee - you offered me a salary to work for you, which is why I initially came to stay here. But now our relationship has changed, and things between us are different now. We sleep with each other and we're affectionate with each other, and we care about each other… but you're still paying me to be here as your employee. Can't you see the strange position I'm in?"

Ana didn't answer, but she had to admit she saw his point. Being a live-in employee and her boyfriend at the same time probably felt wrong to him. Like she was paying him for sex or something.

 _Dammit_

Ana felt as if her heart had dropped to her stomach as she gazed down at her feet. "So what do you suggest?" she muttered quietly.

"Well, we don't have to decide anything at this moment," Christian said comfortingly, reaching forward and taking Ana's hands in his own. "But I think soon we should start talking about maybe moving forward and making a few changes…"

Ana pulled her hands out of Christian's and turned around, not wanting him to see the tears blurring her vision. Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest, and she was feeling a bit dizzy - she sat on the edge of the bed, wishing she could be anywhere else.

 _I can't believe he's actually doing this right now._

"Baby, it'll be okay," Christian whispered, sitting on the bed beside her. "I promise, it won't be too different from what we have right now. My apartment's only twenty minutes away, and I can come and stay over all the time if you want."

 _What?_

Ana froze, her confusion causing her pounding heartbeat to slow down to a normal rhythm. She turned to look at Christian with a frown on her face. "What do you mean?"

"When we find you a new CPO," Christian explained. "It doesn't have to be for awhile, but I won't have to be your employee anymore. I can move out and we can date like a normal couple… isn't that what we wanted?"

Intense relief washed over Ana like a tidal wave, and in a moment she had thrown herself at Christian, hugging him tightly around the neck and burying her face in his shoulder. Christian was clearly surprised at her sudden move, but after a moment he hugged her back, running his hand soothingly along her side.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked quietly, her vice-like grip on him clearly causing him to worry.

"I thought you were breaking up with me," Ana mumbled against his shoulder, not letting go. Tears were still leaking out of her eyes, but they were tears of happiness and relief. "Don't ever scare me like that again."

"Oh my God," Christian whispered, clearly shocked that she had thought that. "Baby, I would never break up with you over something like this. I will fight for you and our relationship, always… I just think terminating my employment with you is the best thing we can do for our relationship moving forward."

"But what about the money?" Ana asked, pulling away and gazing into his eyes. "I know how much you had been making through Taylor-Jones Security, and with this CPO job you earned four times that amount. You're really comfortable walking away from so much money?"

"I was getting along just fine with my previous salary," Christian shrugged. "It wouldn't be a huge change for me. As long as you don't mind dating a broke asshole, I think I'll be perfectly fine."

Ana couldn't help but giggle at his little joke, and she smiled at him for a moment before shaking her head. "Sometimes I can't believe you're real, Mr. Grey. Walking away from a six figure salary like that…"

"For you, I'd walk away from a ten figure salary," Christian insisted, putting his hands on her waist. He pulled her toward him, and she placed her hands around his neck. "I hope you always know that."

"I'm starting to," Ana said, the smile still on her face. She idly played with the hair at the nape of his neck. "I've gotten so used to people only caring about my money, I almost don't know how to react when you're being so sincere and sweet."

"You need to start getting used to it," Christian said firmly. "Because I mean it when I say you mean more to me than all the money in the world. If me walking away from a high-paying job means you and I will have a closer relationship, then I'm all for it."

Ana felt as if her heart got stuck in her throat, and tears threatened to spill out of her eyes as she stared up at Christian. She didn't know what she had done in her life to deserve someone like him, but she knew she never wanted to go back. "I'm going to miss having you as my CPO, though."

"I'm going to miss it too," Christian said, leaning forward to press his forehead against hers. "But I'll personally work with Taylor to find a good replacement for you. Maybe you can have a woman this time around."

"Hm… are you saying you don't want another hunky man spending all his time with me?" Ana smiled coquettishly, running her fingers up and tangling through his copper hair.

"No, I do not," Christian growled, running his hands up the smooth skin of her back. "There are already enough men in the world who ogle pictures of you and fantasize about fucking you… no one is going to be touching you except for me."

The possessiveness in his voice made Ana's arousal spike, and in an instant they were kissing fiercely, their tongues and lips meeting in a sensual, breathless battle. Christian slid his hands around her waist and laid them both down so she was beneath him, her head on his pillow.

The two of them had had sex dozens of times now, and each and every time was amazing. But for some reason this felt different… when Christian was holding her and kissing her and touching her body, she felt as if the trails his fingers left were on fire, her body and soul burning with a need for him so great she felt she could cry.

 _I love him_.

That knowledge hit her with a sudden force and clarity, and she knew beyond a doubt it was true. She loved Christian… she had never been in love before, but somehow she knew that this was what it felt like. It was real and passionate, and it consumed her entire body and soul.

There was nothing else like it… she was in love with the most amazing man in the world. It thrilled her and terrified her all at the same time.

Their kisses had turned to gropes, and their clothes were soon tossed away somewhere across the room. When Christian finally sunk his full length into her, Ana couldn't help but cry out in pleasure.

This was making love, and Ana knew beyond a doubt she could never go back to before she knew Christian. He was her present and future.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, we'll get to meet Anastasia's new CPO.**

 **Be sure to follow my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	19. Moving On

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 19: Moving On**

With the AMA's over with, the next few days went back into the normal routine. Ana would spend most of her time at home with Ray and Christian, only occasionally meeting up with Trey or her music producers for her upcoming album. She was still planning on going on her tour, but not until early next year, and it was only going to be forty cities rather than the originally planned seventy-five. The whole tour would hopefully only take about five months in total, but Ana and Trey were still working out the details.

In addition to all that, Ana and Christian had begun looking into finding her a new CPO. Ana knew it would be tough to find someone as good as Christian, but since the two of them agreed it was best for their relationship if he was off her payroll, they would have to start trying to search for someone new.

"I know some music industry people have used Leeson Guard Services. They're pretty good," Ana said, scrolling through a site on her laptop. The two of them were currently sitting at the dining room table, doing research on CPOs. "Oh, but they're located out in Houston now. Dammit."

"My boss Taylor just texted me," Christian said, glancing down at his phone. "Looks like T-J Security recently hired a few new security guards, and one of them actually has experience doing CPO work."

"Oh, awesome," Ana said, grinning. "Let's meet with him right away."

"It's a woman actually, and I'll set it up for tomorrow morning," Christian nodded, turning back to his laptop and clicking onto Ana's schedule. Ana couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Seriously, Christian? I thought you were joking about that whole female CPO thing. I'm fine with either a man or a woman."

"I know. This one can just be a woman, that's all," Christian said, glancing up at her with a charming grin. Ana gave him a commiserating look. "Seriously Ana, you can have whoever you want for your security detail, but I'd just be much more comfortable if you had a female CPO rather than a male one, that's all."

"…Well, I suppose I would be kind of jealous too if you spent all your time with another woman," Ana admitted, smirking at him. Christian chuckled.

"You're the only woman I want to spend my time with, baby. I'll let Taylor know we can meet with this new CPO tomorrow."

* * *

The next morning, promptly at nine o'clock, the front gate buzzed with the arrival of Taylor and the new CPO. Ana and Christian stepped out onto the front porch when the car pulled up, and Taylor parked in front of the door. He stepped out of the driver side while a beautiful blonde woman stepped out of the passenger side. She definitely looked the part of a security detail - she wore a white button-down shirt tucked into dark blue jeans and a chunky leather belt. She also wore a black leather jacket despite the California heat, and her tinted shades hid her eyes as she gazed around the property, her thumbs tucked into her pockets.

"Christian," Taylor greeted, walking toward them. "Good to see you again."

"You too, Taylor," Christian smiled, shaking his proffered hand. "You remember Anastasia?"

"Of course," Taylor said politely, shaking her hand as well. "Good to see you again, ma'am. And allow me to introduce to you one of our best CPOs over at T-J Security, Kate Kavanagh."

Kate stepped forward, giving Anastasia a smile before holding out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Anastasia. My brother and I are big fans of your music."

Ana giggled, shaking her hand. "Thank you Kate. Would you guys like to come inside?"

The four of them made their way into the house, and Christian saw Kate assessing her surroundings, taking in the vast interior of Ana's estate as she pulled off her sunglasses.

"So Kate, I heard you've done CPO work before?" Ana asked her.

"Yeah, a few years ago I was a CPO for Gwen Stefani, and then a security detail for her band No Doubt once they went on tour," Kate said. "It was only for a few months, and afterwards I left to join a private security company that did sporting events before coming here to T-J Security."

"You prefer doing the short-term jobs then?" Christian asked.

"I like doing both," Kate shrugged. "CPO work was fine, but Gwen was kind of a diva bitch, which was the main reason why I left."

Christian and Ana both snickered as Taylor muttered to her: "Kate, you can't say that."

"What? It's true," Kate said defensively, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "It was a rough job because of her. If I'm going to do CPO work again, I want to make sure I get along with my client this time around."

Ana looked over at Christian, smirking. "I like her already."

"I'm glad," Christian grinned, glancing over at Kate. She smiled appreciatively. "Do you think this is a job you'd like to do Kate?"

"Maybe," Kate said, giving Ana a calculating look. "What's your favorite food?"

"My dad's grilled chicken," Ana said. "Why?"

"If you said kale and quinoa, I was going to give this job a hard pass," Kate responded. "Can I start tomorrow?"

The others all laughed. "You know, I think you'll fit in just fine here," Christian chuckled.

"Christian just needs a couple weeks to move back to his apartment that he's subletting," Ana smiled at Kate. "But once he's gone, you can move right in."

"Awesome," Kate grinned.

"She's going to be taking my room then?" Christian asked Ana.

"Yeah. Since you're not going to be living here anymore, you won't need it," Ana said. She smiled as she wrapped an arm around his waist. "And if you sleep over, you'll just stay with me in my bed."

Christian's eyes darkened as he smirked at her. "Well thank you for your hospitality, Ms. Steele."

Ana giggled as he leaned down and kissed her on the lips. For a moment, they had forgotten Kate and Taylor were right there with them.

"Whoa," Kate said, and Christian and Ana broke apart. She was glancing between the two of them with her eyebrows raised. "I guess now I know why I'm replacing Christian as your CPO."

"I thought you told them," Ana glanced up at Christian, but it was Taylor who answered.

"Christian never mentioned you guys were together. He just said Anastasia was terminating her contract with him," he said. "Since she was still willing to use T-J Security for her next CPO, I didn't ask a lot of questions."

"Well, now you know," Christian said, smiling down at Ana. "Anastasia and I are a couple. That's why we agreed I shouldn't be under her payroll anymore."

"Sounds reasonable," Kate said, nodding. "So are the tabloids going to find out what you two have going on?"

"Hopefully not," Ana said sardonically. "We're trying to keep this out of the public eye, at least for the time being. Obviously, neither you nor Taylor can go telling the press about our relationship."

"Hey, it's none of my business," Kate said, holding her hands up innocently. "As long as you two keep the noise levels down at night, you can do whatever the hell you want."

"Kate," Taylor whispered in a reprimanding way, but Ana and Christian simply laughed.

"It's fine, Taylor," Christian said with a smile. "And we promise to be courteous to you, Kate."

"Good," Kate nodded, and she grinned at the two of them. "I think this is going to work out great."

"I think so too," Ana agreed, and she and Kate exchanged a smile.

* * *

The next few weeks were rather hectic as Christian began the process of moving out of Ana's house and back into his apartment. Ana still had meetings and interviews to go to, which he had to accompany her to, and Kate usually went along with them so she could get a feel for the job. She and Ana got along like old friends, and Ana was clearly thankful to have someone like Kate around since she didn't treat her like she was the most famous pop star in the world. It was clearly refreshing for Ana to be around someone so laid back and normal.

In addition to all that, Ray was still continuing with his chemotherapy and medical treatments. He was doing well for the most part, but his nausea and stomach pain had actually gotten a bit worse. It got to the point where Ana took him to his oncologist Dr. Petra for an emergency visit, paying him triple his usual rate just to see them on short notice. The doctor ended up prescribing Ray a new type of medication that had fewer adverse side effects, and thankfully Ray's nausea and stomach pain went away.

Carla also didn't hang out around the house as much as she used to, though she had heard Christian was going to be stepping down at Ana's CPO. She seemed happy with that prospect, though was less happy when she learned it was for the sake of preserving his and Ana's relationship - she never hid the fact that she didn't approve of her daughter dating someone like Christian, but there was little she could actually do about it. She didn't get involved, though Christian still wanted to keep his eye on her.

Now it was Sunday, and Christian currently stood in the middle of his studio apartment in Culver City. The subletter had finally moved out, and all of Christian's things were still packed in boxes strewn around the place. In the past few months of being away, he had forgotten how small his apartment was, though he supposed he had just gotten used to Ana's spacious Beverly Hills mansion.

A familiar bark sounded from behind him, and Christian's border collie Rex trotted in from the kitchen, panting happily. Rex had been staying with Theo while Christian had been working as Anastasia's CPO, but now Rex was back home where he belonged. Christian smiled as he leaned down and scratched him behind the ear.

"Hey there, buddy," he said, and Rex made a whiny sound in the back of his throat. "Did you miss me?"

Rex yipped before trotting back into the kitchen. Christian chuckled.

"I knew it, you only like me because I feed you."

Christian reached over to grab the TV remote and turned on to the news for some background noise. He then turned to the nearest box, ready to start unpacking, when his doorbell suddenly rang. Rex barked in response.

Since he wasn't expecting anyone, Christian frowned in confusion as he made his way over to the door and opened it.

"Hey there, stranger."

Ana stood in the hallway of his apartment complex, wearing the same blonde wig and sunglasses disguise she had worn to visit her dad in Seattle. She had her arms crossed and was leaning against the door frame, grinning up at him, and Christian couldn't help but smile too, letting out a chuckle.

"Well, this is a surprise," he said, taking in her appearance. "What are you doing here?"

"I just thought I'd help you unpack," she said, still smiling up at him. The lilt in her voice made Christian quite sure she wasn't planning on helping him unpack, and the thought made his heart pound.

"I appreciate it, baby, but my place is kind of a mess right now. I wasn't really planning on having guests over," he said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. Truthfully, he was a bit embarrassed for her to be seeing his tiny studio apartment. She was used to living the life of a multi-millionaire, and this place by comparison was practically a hole.

"Oh please, I don't mind," Ana brushed off, pulling off her sunglasses. Without a word, she pushed past him into his apartment.

Rex immediately bounded up to her, panting happily, and Ana giggled as she knelt down in front of him. "Hey there cutie," she said, scratching the back of the dog's ear. "Christian, I didn't know you had a dog."

"Yeah, this is Rex," Christian grinned, closing the door and walking over to her. "He's been staying with a buddy of mine while I was working for you, but now he's back with me." He smiled as he watched Ana petting his dog so lovingly. "Where's Kate?"

"She's settling into her new room right now," Ana said, getting to her feet. "Don't worry, she knows I'm here. I have to be back by this afternoon for a conference call, but until then I thought I'd come over and spend some quality time with my boyfriend."

Christian smiled as she walked over and wrapped her arms around his neck, and his hands immediately went to her waist. "Nothing would make me happier, baby. As long as you don't mind this tiny, cramped apartment."

"Hm, I like it. I think it's cozy," Ana smiled, leaning forward so her lips brushed up against his. "I definitely wouldn't mind coming over here to spend a few nights a week with you."

"Really?" Christian couldn't help but ask, surprised.

"Yeah," Ana said sincerely. She glanced around her. "I love it here. It's warm and soft, and it smells just like you… I feel like I could spend all day here."

Christian felt tingles spread through his body as Ana said that, and he knew she meant every word. For someone so rich and famous, she was incredibly down-to-earth and sweet… he felt himself falling for her more and more each day.

Without a word, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, and she immediately kissed him back, tangling her fingers in his hair. He slid his hands down to her ass cheeks and lifted her up in his arms, walking them over to his bed in the corner of the room. He turned and sat down on the edge so Ana was straddling his lap; she smiled coquettishly as she reached up and pulled her blonde wig off, allowing her brown hair to cascade down around her shoulders. Christian chuckled as he tucked her hair behind her ears, cupping her face in his hands as he kissed her again.

The television was still on, but neither of them were paying much attention to it. That is, until a familiar name was spoken by the woman reporting the news:

"… _And in celebrity news, Colton West has finally broken his silence regarding his relationship with pop singer Anastasia_ ," she said. Christian and Ana pulled away from each other to look at the screen, where some b-roll of Colton was playing. " _Apparently, things didn't end as amicably as we all thought. Earlier today, Colton made a lengthy Instagram post talking about how Anastasia had been unfaithful to him during their relationship… and he has screenshots of the DMs to prove it._ "

"What?" Ana snapped, getting up off Christian's lap. "What the hell is this? I never cheated on Colton!"

She quickly reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone, wanting to get to the bottom of this.

"What DMs is he talking about?" Christian asked warily, getting to his feet as well.

"I have no idea. I rarely go on social media, and I certainly haven't DM'd anyone," Ana said, clicking onto Instagram to find Colton's post. "I never cheated on Colton, and there hadn't been anyone else after him except for you, Christian. I swear."

"I believe you, Ana," Christian assured her. "Maybe this is just a publicity stunt he's doing?"

"If it is, why hadn't I heard about it from him first? He and I had planned out our relationship and breakup to the smallest detail," she said, frowning in distress. She finally found Colton's Instagram post, and she furrowed her brow as she gazed at it. "Wait, this is just a screenshot of a DM conversation with the names and handles changed! I never wrote any of this!"

Ana shook her head, looking deeply upset as she gazed down at her phone. "I have no idea why Colton is doing this, but I have to talk to my mom and my PR person to figure out how we're going to deal with it. This could definitely get messy."

She looked up and met Christian's concerned gaze. "I'm sorry, I have to go right now."

"That's okay," Christian said without hesitating, reaching out to rub her arm. "I understand, you need to deal with this now. Let me know what's going on, and once things settle down a bit I can come over. Alright?"

Ana nodded, giving him a small grateful smile. "Thank you Christian."

She moved forward and pressed her lips to his in a sweet kiss, and Christian barely had time to kiss her back before she had pulled away and reached down to grab her discarded wig. With a final wave, she turned hurried out the front door.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, Ana deals with the media fallout with Colton.**

 **Be sure to check out my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	20. Colton West

**A/N: Thank you all for reading and reviewing! Hope you all enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Colton West**

 _ *******DID POP SINGER ANASTASIA CHEAT ON COLTON WEST?*******_

 **Yesterday afternoon, Colton West came out with shocking allegations that, during their now-defunct relationship, Anastasia had been sleeping with another man behind his back. There's been no comment from Anastasia as of yet, but many fans of the couple claim that this could explain their sudden and unexpected breakup. Could there be another man in the picture? Only time will tell…**

Tabloids like _Star_ and _National Enquirer_ ran stories just like this for the next few days, and Anastasia's PR team was having a difficult time trying to tamp down the story. It didn't help that these same publications were also running dozens of additional stories speculating who Anastasia's secret guy could be, showing badly-framed paparazzi photos of her walking down the street with other men, including Adam Levine and Bradley Cooper. She had worked alongside famous men before in the past, but nothing even resembling romance had sparked between them… not that these gossip rags even remotely cared about that.

"This is getting ridiculous," Ana said in a frustrated voice, gazing at the cover of the latest issue of _Globe_. A badly-shot paparazzi picture of Ana walking down the street was taken with the caption _ANASTASIA'S DOWNWARD SPIRAL_.

"I'm sorry darling - we're doing everything we can to get them to let up," Carla said, sounding just as frustrated with the situation as Ana. She paced the length of the dining room while texting busily on her phone. "I'm emailing Marcy to see what our next move should be."

"Good," Ana said, knowing the head of her PR team would be on top of any new information. Ana glanced over at Kate, who grimaced back at her - the two of them had spent most of the morning poring over magazines and searching online for everything the tabloids were saying about Anastasia. So far it was pretty bad.

"I'm sure all of this is going to blow over in a week or two," Kate said reasonably, flipping through a copy of _People_. "Maybe you guys shouldn't say anything to the press?"

"We could do that, but the public is still going to be left with the impression that Ana is a slut who cheats on her boyfriend," Carla responded, still texting busily on her phone. "It's not something we want her fans to think, especially since so much of Ana's public persona is that she's America's Sweetheart."

"Yeah, and also the fact that I _didn't cheat on Colton_ ," Ana said firmly, frowning up at her mother. "I wish we could just tell the public the truth."

"I wish it was that simple too, sweetheart," Carla said compassionately. Her phone suddenly buzzed with an incoming call, and she glanced down at the screen. "It's Marcy. I'll just be a minute."

Carla answered the phone while turning and walking out into the foyer, speaking with the head of Ana's PR team.

"I still think doing nothing at all would be the best plan," Kate said staunchly, closing and setting down the magazine. "Who cares if it makes you look bad for a couple weeks? I'm pretty sure your fans already know you're not Mother Teresa."

Ana couldn't help but giggle. "Yeah, I know. And I realize this is all probably going to blow over soon, but I'll likely end up having to make a public statement at some point in the next week or so. I wish this would all just go away."

"How's Christian taking all of this?" Kate asked.

"He's been really supportive," Ana said, smiling at the thought of her boyfriend. "He knows I never cheated on Colton, and he understands the media is just slandering me with no actual proof. I hate that he has to see all this public shit being dragged up about my and Colton's relationship though."

"That must suck," Kate said sympathetically. "But at least Christian can take heart in the fact he's not as big a douchenozzle as your ex is."

Ana couldn't help but giggle. "Very true."

"Did you want me to take you to see him tonight again?"

These past couple nights, Kate had shuttled Ana to Christian's apartment under the cover of darkness, and then would come back early the next morning to pick her up. It was probably a huge inconvenience for Kate, but she never complained and was a good sport about it. Ana considered giving her a raise.

"I don't know yet," Ana said. "Christian's going to call and let me know when he'll be home tonight - Taylor's having him work late for a nightclub security job."

"Okay, just let me know," Kate said.

"I really appreciate you doing this for us," Ana said with a grateful smile. "I know it must be a huge inconvenience to you."

"Oh please, it's not that bad," Kate brushed off, getting up and walking over to the fridge. "Compared to what I used to do for Gwen, this is nothing. She and her band would send me out on Jamba Juice runs at two o'clock in the morning."

"Wow, really?" Ana asked, raising her eyebrows in amusement. "Is Jamba Juice even open at that time?"

"What do you think?" Kate asked, shooting Ana a commiserating look before opening the freezer. "It never occurred to them that some places just aren't open in the middle of the night. Incidentally, I got pretty good at making homemade smoothies taste exactly like Jamba Juice."

Ana laughed. "Wow, good to know."

At that moment, Carla walked back into the dining room, her call with Marcy over with. "Marcy agrees we shouldn't say anything to the press at the moment, but on Wednesday you're doing an interview for iHeart Radio, and you can address this whole Colton debacle then. I'll have a word with the interviewer and we'll work out the best way to approach this."

"Okay," Ana nodded, resigned. "That sounds good. I hate waiting though."

"It'll all be worth it in the end, darling," Carla assured her.

"Have you talked to Colton's people yet?" Ana asked. "They might have answers as to why he's doing this."

"I've tried calling his manager, but he's not picking up," Carla said, frowning slightly. "I'll keep trying."

Ana nodded. "Okay."

"So I guess we just wait," Kate said, returning to the dining table with two bowls of chocolate frozen yogurt. Ana smiled as Kate set one of the bowls in front of her.

"Thanks Kate."

Carla frowned disapprovingly at the fro-yo. "Ana, did you and Kate work out this morning?"

"We're going to go for a run this afternoon," Ana assured her, and Carla nodded.

"Alright, just be careful how much sugar you eat. I'm going to get in touch with Vivian right now and see what you have scheduled for the rest of today."

Carla walked away down the hallway, and Kate rolled her eyes at Ana.

"What your mom doesn't know won't hurt her," she said, bringing a big spoonful of the fro-yo to her lips and taking a huge bite.

Ana smiled before lifting a spoonful of the chocolate deliciousness to her own mouth.

* * *

 **~Later that night~**

"We should go on a trip."

Ana had been resting her head on Christian's naked torso in their post-coital bliss, and she looked over to gaze up at his face.

"A trip?" she asked, perching her chin on his chest. "To where?"

"I don't know - anywhere," Christian muttered, drifting his knuckles lazily along her naked back. Ana couldn't help but smile at the feel of his gentle touch. "Since this whole media debacle with Colton, I thought you could use a break."

"God knows that's true," Ana sighed, settling her cheek back onto his chest. "My dad's been doing a lot better too, so now would be a good time to get out of town. I have to do an interview in a few days, but maybe after that?"

"Sounds good," Christian said, smiling down at her. "There's a big secluded campground called Big Bear a couple hours outside Los Angeles. A lot of beautiful rustic cabins and evergreen trees… we can drive out there on Friday and make it a long weekend, just the two of us camping out under the stars."

"Mm, sounds lovely," Ana hummed with a smile, snuggling into his chest. "I'll be counting the days."

"Me too," Christian chuckled, pulling her closer to him. "I'll talk to Taylor and see if I can get Friday off."

"Alright," Ana said, glancing back up at his face and smirking slightly. "So how do you like not doing CPO work anymore?"

"It's been a bit of an adjustment. It's nice having my nights free though, especially now that I have a sexy new girlfriend who likes to stay over."

"Really?" Ana suddenly rolled over so she was on top of Christian, gazing down at him with a smile. "Do you like it when she stays over?"

Christian smiled, reaching up to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. "I love it."

"She must be pretty special then," Ana said, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Christian's eyes were soft as he gazed back at her. "She's absolutely perfect."

Ana gazed back at him with a look of such adoration and affection, he couldn't resist leaning up and capturing her lips in his own, cupping her face in his hand. Ana nipped at his lower lip, smiling against him before kissing him back, running her hands up his chest before tangling in his hair. Christian suddenly rolled over so he was on top of her, pressing her into the mattress as he continued to kiss her, opening his mouth and tangling his tongue with hers in a passionate dance.

Ana moaned as Christian pulled away to begin kissing her along her jaw and down her neck. "How are you so good at that?" she muttered breathlessly.

Christian chuckled against her soft skin. "Good at what?" he whispered, kissing the hollow of her throat.

"Turning me on."

Ana arched her back as Christian's lips made it down to her naked breast, taking her nipple in his mouth. He suckled on it before laving it with his tongue, making her keen with pleasure.

"Because your body was made for me," Christian murmured, nipping at her soft skin. "I know every single inch of you…since I first touched you at that music video shoot, I've been able to tell exactly what it is that makes your body sing."

Ana let out a giggle before gasping as Christian lightly bit down on her nipple, eliciting a zing of pleasure to shoot through her core.

"My body agrees with that," she said, letting out a breathless laugh. "I just hope I do the same for you."

"Oh you do, baby," Christian smirked, moving his head up they were eye to eye, his nose brushing up against hers. "You definitely do."

Ana giggled happily as Christian began kissing her again, and the two of them got lost in each other for the rest of the night.

* * *

 **~Carla~**

The sun had set nearly an hour ago, but Carla still hadn't left Ana's house. She always got more work done here anyway, and since this place was mostly unoccupied tonight, things were more quiet than usual. Carla checked her watch before shutting down her laptop and closing it, gathering all her papers back into her briefcase - her daughter's office was a good quiet working environment, especially since Ana rarely used this room anymore.

Carla frowned to herself as she thought about Anastasia… for the third night in a row, she had gone over to Christian's apartment to spend the night with him. Why that girl preferred to spend her evenings at that man's apartment instead of her own multi-million dollar mansion was completely beyond her. Carla had never seen her daughter so starstruck over anyone before, let alone some average schlub who barely earned a fraction of what Anastasia made.

That girl was so desperate for validation, it made Carla want to groan in frustration. It's like she didn't even care that she was one of the most famous women of her generation!

 _Is this really all the thanks I get for making her the star that she is today?_

With a sigh, Carla pulled out her cell phone and dialed a familiar number. She brought the phone up to her ear, listening as it rang three times.

"Hello?" the man on the other end finally picked up.

"Hey Levi. Can you talk?" Carla asked, glancing toward the closed office door.

"Yeah, Colton's out partying God knows where - he probably won't show his face until tomorrow," Levi said. "How're things on your end?"

"Anastasia's worried about all the bad press, obviously. I told her she's not going to address it for the next few days until her iHeart Radio interview, and she seems okay with that. I've looked at what people are saying online though, and the public opinion is largely negative towards Anastasia."

"Yeah, the fans right now are definitely in favor of Colton," the other manager agreed. "No one seems to suspect yet that those DMs are fake. After Anastasia's interview, we could leak some 'evidence' that Colton faked those screenshots - that would definitely drum up the drama, and we'll have all the fans speculating about who's lying and who's not."

"Great idea," Carla smiled. "All press is good press, as the saying goes. Is Colton on board with this?"

"He is, but he's also under the impression that Anastasia is on board too," Levi said. "That means it's _very_ important neither of them talk to one another directly."

"Yes, I know Levi. We've been over this…"

"But it bears repeating," Levi said seriously. "If either of them find out what's really going on, this whole narrative could unravel. We can't let that happen."

"It won't," Carla insisted. "I know my daughter, Levi. She's not going to contact Colton."

"I hope you're right."

"I am," Carla said, checking her watch again. "I have to get going, but I'll talk to you soon."

"Alright, bye Carla."

Carla hung up before gathering all of her things together and heading out of the office, tucking her briefcase underneath her arm. Since it was late at night, all the lights along the hallway and in the foyer were dimmed, casting a soft glow throughout the spacious house.

Carla walked downstairs toward the front door, not noticing Ray who had been standing in the room next to Ana's office, having overheard everything she had said.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that chapter! Next, some more of Carla's deception comes to light.**

 **Be sure to follow my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	21. Scandals

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 21: Scandals**

"Ooh, turn it up," Ana smiled as she reached over to adjust the volume of Christian's radio. The familiar strands of a pop song filled the car.

Christian couldn't help but chuckle as he navigated his car down the 405. "You always like to listen to yourself on the radio?"

"Only the good songs," Ana grinned, bopping her head to the beat of the music. "And Fatal Attraction brings back a lot of happy memories for me."

Christian smiled over at her before looking back toward the road. "You know, I don't think I've even watched the music video for that yet. I should probably check it out."

"You should. We look pretty hot together," Ana grinned. She reached over and took Christian's hand in her own, lacing their fingers together, and Christian brought her knuckles up to his lips before kissing them.

"Do you think anyone will put it together, that I'm the guy in your music video? I was your CPO for awhile, I'm bound to get noticed by a few people," Christian said. Ana turned her gaze out the window.

"Maybe. Some 'super fans' out there are probably going to put the pieces together, and if that happens we'll deal with it," she said simply. "I've got enough on my plate right now with the whole Colton media debacle."

She didn't say anything after that, and Christian was silent too, though they continued to hold hands. He knew they were both thinking the same thing: will the public think Ana cheated on Colton with Christian? It was a troubling thought, but Christian knew they shouldn't get ahead of themselves. He wished this craziness didn't have to be in Ana's life, but there was nothing he could do to change it.

They pulled up to Ana's gated driveway before Christian drove up and parked near the front door. Ana smiled over at him.

"Can you stay for breakfast? I think Tom's making croissants."

Christian checked his watch. "Yeah, I think I can stay. I don't have to be at T-J Security until ten."

"Great. Come on then."

They went inside, holding hands with one another, and immediately the delicious smell of baking bread and roasted coffee filled their nostrils - Tom was pulling a sheet of croissants out of the oven while Ray was sitting at the breakfast counter with a mug of coffee in his hands. He looked up and smiled as he saw Christian and Ana approach.

"Hey you two," he said, bringing the mug to his lips. "Want some breakfast?"

"We'd love some," Ana answered as they sat down at the counter. "Tom, those croissants smell amazing."

" _Grazie_ , Anastasia," Tom smiled at her, walking over to the counter with a platter of the warm croissants, a dish of strawberry jam, and a small plate of butter. "Enjoy."

"Thank you," Ray smiled, and Tom nodded before walking out of the kitchen.

"Tom's croissants are _amazing_ ," Ana said, eagerly picking up one of the flaky pastries. "Some days I'm so glad that I hired him."

"You guys want some coffee?" Ray asked, moving to get up.

"I can grab it, Ray," Christian said, quickly getting to his feet. "Ana, do you want an espresso?"

"Sure, thanks."

Christian made his way over to the coffee machine as Ray looked over at Anastasia. "Annie, have you spoken to your mother at all today yet?"

"No, I'm not seeing her today," Ana shook her head. "She's meeting with some media people this morning to try to tamp down the whole Colton story. I'll probably see her tomorrow though."

"Oh," Ray frowned down at his hands still holding the mug of coffee. He brought it up to his lips and took a sip.

"What is it?" Ana frowned at her dad, reaching over to the butter dish to spread some onto her croissant.

"It's just that… Carla was here last night. In your office," Ray said, hesitating briefly.

"Yeah, she's in there a lot," Ana shrugged. "So?"

"Well, when she was in your office, I was passing by the door when I heard her take a call from someone named Levi."

Ana raised her eyebrows. "Oh, that's Colton's manager. She finally got in touch with him?"

Christian now returned to the breakfast counter with two cups of coffee. He sat back down beside Ana and placed one of the cups in front of her.

"I guess so, and it sounded like the two of them had been talking for awhile, like they were conspiring or something," Ray said.

"How do you mean?" Christian asked.

"Well, I only heard Carla's half of the conversation…" Ray said slowly. "But it really sounded like the two of them had collaborated to make up the whole cheating scandal about you in the news."

Ana and Christian both stared at Ray. "Wait, what?" Ana asked, flabbergasted. "What did she say exactly?"

"Well… like I said, I only heard her half of the conversation, but she talked about how you were going to address the issue in an interview a few days from now," Ray explained. "She mentioned something about all press being good press, and she also asked him if Colton was on board too."

"On board with what?" Christian asked, frowning at Ray.

"No idea," Ray shook his head. "It sounded kind of suspicious, though."

"Are you absolutely sure she helped orchestrate this whole media debacle?" Ana asked Ray. "You yourself said you only heard about half the conversation."

"I don't know. But it really sounded like she was a part of it," Ray said, sounding concerned.

"No offense Ana, but this does sound like something your mother would do," Christian said to Ana, frowning slightly.

"Look, I know Carla is a bitch," Ana said, rolling her eyes. "She's a total stage-mom and I'm not blind to the kind of person she is, alright? But I also know that she wouldn't try to sabotage my career like that. We already know that Colton and his people fabricated those DM screenshots… maybe Carla's trying to get some inside information from Colton's manager or something?"

Ray scratched the back of his head, looking doubtful. "I mean… I guess it's possible she was doing that. It wasn't really the impression I got though."

"I'm sure that's what it was, Dad," Ana reassured him. "I know how to deal with Mom. I'll talk to her about what you said and try to clear everything up, okay?"

Ray grimaced at her. "Whatever you think is best, sweetheart."

At that moment, Kate came down the staircase wearing tennis shoes, black leggings, and a safety green tank top, her blonde hair pulled back in a high ponytail. "Oh hey Ana, you're here," she said brightly, glancing over at Christian. "I thought I would have to pick you up from Christian's apartment again. Come on, it's time to go for a run."

Ana glanced sadly at her half-eaten croissant. "Right now?"

"Yes, right now," Kate said eagerly, moving forward to tug at Ana's arm. "Come on - no time to waste!"

Ana groaned, getting to her feet. "Ugh, fine. Give me a few minutes to change."

She walked out of the kitchen, heading toward the staircase. Once she was gone, Kate walked over and picked up Ana's croissant before taking a big bite.

Christian and Ray stared at her.

"What?" she asked, her mouth full. Without waiting for an answer, she turned around and walked away, the croissant in hand.

Christian and Ray both exchanged a glance before letting out a chuckle.

* * *

 **~The next day~**

"Marcel, lower the levels to the bass line and raise it on the guitar," Anastasia spoke from the soundbooth, large black headphones covering her ears.

"You got it," the Latino man sitting at the soundboard adjusted a few of the levels before playing a short portion of the song again.

"Lower the snares just a bit," Anastasia ordered. Marcel complied before playing the portion again. Ana listened with her eyes closed before nodding, a smile suddenly blossoming across her face.

"Perfect," she said, opening her eyes and looking up at Marcel. "I think we got it this time."

Ana had been working all morning and most of the afternoon on her new studio album. The music was already written, and all that needed to be done now was record it - the one they were working on now was called "Carry On" and her personal favorite in the whole album. So far it was turning out amazing, and she wondered if she could convince Max to release this one first as its own single.

"Hey Ana," Vivian piped up from the loveseat behind Marcel. "I got a text from your mom - she's on her way in."

"Thanks Vivian," Ana said, taking off her headphones. She'd been working for hours, and now that Carla was back from her meeting, she felt this was a good time to finally have a word with her about what Ray had said yesterday.

"...Hi sweetheart," Carla walked in while taking off her sunglasses. She looked like her usual poised and professional self today in a gray pencil skirt, black heels, and a crisp white blouse. "How's the album recording coming along?"

"It's pretty good," Ana smiled, setting her headphones on the stool beside her. "I was just finishing up, though."

"What are you talking about? I want to hear what you've done so far," Carla smiled, setting her purse down and taking a seat on the couch beside Vivian. "You can't deprive me now that I've just gotten here!"

"Mom, we've recorded four songs today - I'm exhausted," Ana said, frowning tiredly.

"This shouldn't take long," Carla insisted. "What was the last one you were working on?"

"It was Carry On," Ana said, glancing down at her sheet music.

"Just sing a part of it for me - please?" Carla asked beseechingly.

"Yeah, c'mon Ana. Let's hear it again!" Vivian insisted with an eager smile.

Ana sighed, picking up her headphones again. "Alright, fine. We'll take it eight measures leading from the chorus, Marcel."

"Sure thing, Ana," Marcel said, fiddling with a few switches. Ana slipped the headphones over her ears again before straightening the sheet music on her stand.

The music kicked in, and the strums of the guitar and the beat of the drum gave the song a nice, upbeat sound. Ana tapped her thigh, keeping to the beat of the music as she waited for her cue to sing:

 _I pulled away  
_ _Where darkness would lie  
_ _My foolish heart  
_ _Daydreams justify_

This was the slow portion of the song leading up to the chorus - Ana loved this particular part, because it perfectly articulated how she had felt in the years before having met Christian. Alone and afraid to open her heart to anyone… Ana sung the words quietly, her tone of voice deep and meaningful as she closed her eyes, the music washing over her as she sang.

 _What I couldn't see  
_ _I could feel, I could taste  
_ _Could I find what I need?  
_ _Or will it just be a waste?_

The music crescendoed, and Ana felt her heart swell along with the song. She thought about how thankful she was that Christian had come into her life… how much he had opened her heart to something she knew was always within reach, but was too scared to touch.

Ana's voice became stronger as the song began to push forward with power and strength, suddenly bursting into the chorus:

 _Oh I carry on,  
_ _Carry on with my heart  
_ _Broken to pieces  
_ _But now can restart_

 _I carry on with this love  
_ _This fire from within  
_ _I'll carry yours too  
_ _And ours can begin_

The music was powerful, and Ana's voice managed to carry it. She sang out the last note, her voice falling into a vibrato, and when the music faded, her voice slowly quieted into nothing. Everyone in the booth was silent.

Vivian suddenly hopped to her feet, clapping excitedly. "Oh my God Ana, that was _amazing_! This will totally be a hit!"

Ana smiled embarrassedly as she pulled her headphones off and got to her feet. "Thanks Viv."

"Ana, I have to say that song is incredible," Carla smiled at her daughter, getting to her feet as well. "You really wrote that one yourself?"

"Yeah, I wrote all of these myself," Ana said, walking out of the recording studio to where the others were. "That one was my favorite though. I'm hoping Max will want to release this one first as a single."

"I think I could probably twist his arm," Carla smiled, and Ana beamed hopefully at her.

"Really?"

"Of course. I know a thing or two about music, darling, and I can tell you without a doubt this one's a winner," Carla assured her. "I'll give Max a call tomorrow and see what he thinks."

Ana felt hope and happiness burgeon in her chest. It was rare when her mother agreed with her, but she was happy they could find common ground over something like this. "Thanks Mom."

"Come on - we have a meeting across town with the Dior people," Carla said, checking her watch before picking up her purse. "Kate's going to bring the car around."

"Okay," Ana said, gathering up her things too. "Can we stop somewhere to eat first? I'm starving, and I saw a Chipotle next door."

"There are some paparazzi outside, we don't really want to draw too much attention," Carla said. "Vivian, could you run to the Chipotle next door and grab something for Ana before we go?"

"Sure thing," Vivian said, texting something on her phone. "Veggie burrito with extra guac, right?"

"Yup, thanks Viv," Ana smiled, and Vivian smiled back at her before hurrying toward the front door.

Carla and Ana finished gathering up their things, and Ana remembered what she had talked about with Ray the other morning. "Hey Mom, have you gotten in touch with Colton's people yet?"

"Hm?" Carla glanced over at her. "Oh. No, not yet sweetheart."

Ana frowned. "Really? You haven't gotten in touch with Levi?"

"No. I told you, nobody from Colton's camp are answering my calls," Carla said, picking up her phone and texting something on it.

Ana didn't say anything for a moment as she frowned at her mother. "Dad mentioned that he overheard you in my office the other night. You were talking to Levi on the phone."

Carla blinked before looking up at Ana, a flicker of something crossing her features. "What? No I wasn't."

"He said he heard you," Ana insisted. "Are you saying he's lying?"

"No, he's just mistaken," Carla said. "I was talking to Levi's _assistant_ that night. I was asking to talk to him, but she kept brushing me off and making excuses. That must have been what Ray overheard."

Ana frowned, but didn't say anything to that. Ray had told her specifically what he had heard Carla talking about that night, and it didn't add up to what Carla was saying now. Ana trusted her dad implicitly… why was Carla lying about this?

Vivian then appeared in the doorway with a to-go bag in her hand. "Here you go, Ana. Chips are inside."

"Thanks Viv," Ana said, accepting the bag from her.

"Come on, you two. Kate's waiting for us," Carla said, moving toward the door.

The three women walked out of the studio and into the parking lot, and sure enough there were over a dozen paparazzi standing around; the moment they glimpsed Anastasia, they swarmed around her, shouting questions.

"Anastasia, did you cheat on Colton West?"

"Who were you DMing in those screenshots, Anastasia?"

"Anastasia, is there another man in your life?"

Ana put on her sunglasses and kept her eyes straight ahead, not acknowledging any of them. Kate parked the SUV in a spot only twenty feet away, and Ana wanted to get there as quickly as possible. In her years of living in the spotlight, she learned the best way to deal with the paparazzi was to completely ignore them - talking to them would only encourage them.

She kept her eyes forward, not answering any of the questions being shouted her way.

"...Can't you all see we're trying to walk through here? Why do you all have to harass my daughter like this?"

Ana immediately turned around and noticed Carla snapping angrily at some of the papz crowding around them. They didn't move back, but instead brought their cameras up to her face and began taking even more pictures.

Ana stared at her, dumbfounded.

 _What the hell is she doing?_

"All of you, just stay the hell away from my daughter!" Carla snapped as Ana darted over and grasped Carla by the arm, pulling her toward the car. Kate had now stepped out of the SUV and was clearing a path for them to come toward her.

Ana, Carla, and Vivian got safely in the backseat, and Ana immediately rounded on her mother. "Mom, what the hell was that back there? You know better than to engage the paparazzi like that!"

"I'm sorry darling - those vultures just make me so angry sometimes," Carla said angrily, gazing out the window toward where the paparazzi had crowded around their car.

"I don't care how angry they make you - confronting them like that is only going to encourage them," Ana insisted firmly. "That sound byte of you yelling at them is probably going to make the news now! The last thing I need is more media drama over this whole Colton issue!"

But at that moment, Ray's words from yesterday morning came back to her, and his suspicions that Carla was sabotaging her career flooded her mind. Is that what her mother was really doing? Was she really capable of doing something like this to her own daughter?

The thought didn't seem so outlandish anymore.

"You're right darling. My apologies," Carla said contritely. She then picked her phone up out of her purse and immediately began texting something on it, tuning everyone else out.

Ana, not knowing what to say, silently wrapped her arms around her middle before turning to look out the window as Kate finally got into the drivers seat and drove them away.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry if you all found this chapter to be a bit anticlimactic, but I hope you all enjoyed it anyway! Next up, Ana and Christian escape from the world for their weekend getaway.**

 **Be sure to follow my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	22. Big Bear

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Hope you all enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 22: Big Bear**

For the next couple days, Anastasia made it a point to avoid her mother, not wanting anything to do with her even if it was for something business-related. Carla's lies and manipulations went much deeper than what Ana had previously realized, and she didn't think she could talk to Carla without wondering if she was being lied to. Ana decided to just avoid her for the time being, and luckily Carla didn't seem bothered by it as she went about her own business.

Ana had gone to her iHeart Radio interview on Thursday and spoke about the whole cheating scandal with Colton for the first time publicly. She followed Marcy's advice to a tee and maintained that she never cheated on him, and that she was shocked and saddened by his accusations. She made sure she didn't get overly defensive or vicious toward Colton - overall, she felt she did a good job, and if her social media accounts were any indication, a lot of her most dedicated fans trusted her implicitly. The trolls would all insult her and call her names she'd never repeat in polite company, but as usual she would ignore them and go on with her life.

The paparazzi were a different story, though… they were getting harder and harder to ignore since dozens of them would hang out at the front entrance of her home and follow her and Kate around whenever they drove somewhere. It was impossible to get anywhere on time, and Ana had to resist the urge to scream out in frustration whenever a bunch of them would hound her on the street or pound the side of her car as Kate pulled out of the driveway.

Her weekend getaway with Christian could not come soon enough.

Friday finally came along - it was still relatively dark out at 4:30 in the morning, when Ana and Kate sneaked out of the house, quietly packing all her luggage into the SUV before pulling out of the driveway. Thankfully, there weren't any paparazzi hanging around her gate or anyone camping out on the sidewalk.

 _Thank God for small miracles._

Fifteen minutes later, Kate pulled up into the parking lot of Christian's apartment complex, and Christian himself was standing by the open trunk of his car, loading it with several suitcases and coolers. He was dressed like a lumberjack wearing dark wash jeans, hiking boots, a red and black flannel shirt, and a jean jacket. He glanced up when he noticed the headlights of the SUV, and he waved.

"Good morning sunshine," Christian grinned as Ana hopped out of the passenger side. She hurried toward him and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"Let's go right now please," she said, her voice muffled against his shoulder. "I just want to get away from the world."

"That's what this weekend's for baby," Christian said, pulling away from her. He gave her a onceover as a sexy smile broke out across his face. "You look absolutely stunning, Ms. Steele."

Ana blushed and smiled: she was wearing a simple camping outfit of skinny jeans, lace-up boots, and a fitted flannel shirt. Since it was so early in the morning, she didn't feel particularly beautiful, but when he looked at her like that she felt like a goddess. "Thanks."

"Can you two stop mooning over each other for a minute and help me?" Kate asked from behind them, struggling to pull Ana's heavy suitcase out of the trunk of the SUV.

Christian and Ana quickly walked over to help her, and pretty soon her luggage was packed away next to Christian's in his truck. He slammed the trunk shut before walking over to the driver's side door, and Ana turned to Kate.

"We probably won't have cell reception once we're there," Ana said to her. "But the cabin we're staying at will have a landline phone. I'll call you from it once we get there so you have the number."

"Okay," Kate nodded. "And I'll only reach out to you in case there's an emergency."

"Or if my dad needs to talk to me," Ana added. "Only the two of you know about me going away with Christian, and I want to keep it that way."

"Will do, Boss," Kate nodded with a grin. "I'll fight off Carla with a stick if I have to."

Ana couldn't help but giggle. "Thanks Kate. I'll see you Sunday."

The two women hugged goodbye before Kate walked back over to the SUV and Ana walked over to the passenger side door of Christian's truck. She got inside and before fastening her seatbelt, smiling up at Christian.

"Ready?"

Christian grinned over at her before turning the key into the ignition, the engine revving to life. "Ready, Ms. Steele."

~/~

The two-hour road trip out to Big Bear thankfully wasn't hindered by too much traffic since it was so early in the morning, and the beautiful wild forests and hilly terrain made for a beautiful backdrop as they drove along. Ana and Christian had a great time chatting as they drove down the freeway, and Ana rifled through Christian's CD collection. He had eclectic tastes in music, ranging from The Fray to Suzanne Vega, and she ended up settling on a classic album from one of her favorite '70s bands, Creedence Clearwater Revival.

The two of them sang along to Have You Ever Seen the Rain, and Christian's off-key singing made Ana giggle.

"It's called breath control, Christian," she instructed him, placing a hand on her stomach. "You have to sing from the diaphragm, like this."

"How about I just listen to you sing?" Christian suggested, and Ana snickered. "It's too early in the morning for music lessons."

"Aw, you're no fun."

When they finally arrived to Big Bear, Ana was feeling happy and excited for their weekend to start - she couldn't help but gaze at their surroundings in wonder and delight.

"Oh my God, Christian," she said when she laid eyes on the cabin they were going to be staying at. It was a gorgeous two-story cherry wood lodge set in the side of a mountain surrounded by a large copse of evergreen trees. About a quarter of a mile east of their cabin, the gorgeous and pristine Big Bear Lake sat in the valley between two mountains.

"Ready to do some camping?" Christian asked with a grin. He parked the car at the front of the long driveway, a few feet away from the from the porch, and they both got out.

"I believe the correct term would be 'glamping'," Ana smirked, following him to the trunk. "You know, 'glam camping'?"

"Whatever you want to call it, at least now we're alone," Christian smiled at her. Ana suddenly walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him full on the lips. Christian seemed surprised, but kissed her back after a moment.

"Thank you for taking me here," Ana whispered after she pulled away, gazing up at him through her eyelashes, her expression sincere. "I can't tell you how much I needed this."

Christian smiled down at her fondly, reaching up to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. "I know, baby. I'll always be here to give you what you need."

Ana felt her heart rate pick up, and she leaned forward to kiss him once again. Christian cupped her face in his hand before reluctantly pulling away.

"We need to unpack the car now, otherwise I'm going to stand here and make out with you all day long," Christian growled, and Ana giggled.

"Sounds good to me."

Christian pressed a kiss to her forehead before finally pulling away, and the two of them began unpacking the car and bringing everything to the cabin's front door. Christian had already gotten the keys to the cabin, and he unlocked the door - the interior was as beautifully rustic as the outside, but was rather bare. Ana noticed very few furnishings: a couch facing a small television, an empty grate for a fireplace, a kitchenette in the corner, and a staircase leading up to a loft area where their camping bed was.

"It's not much, but that's why we packed a lot for this trip," Christian said, lugging his large red cooler into the kitchen area. "I brought food and water for the next few days, and a portable induction burner since we don't have a stove here."

"Nice," Ana smiled, setting her suitcase beside the couch. "I brought a few bottles of wine so we could get drunk tonight after dinner."

"I knew there was a reason I liked you," Christian smiled, and Ana giggled.

The two of them made several trips to the truck, bringing in their suitcases, knapsacks, coolers, supplies, and sleeping bags. It only took them about thirty minutes to unpack everything, and after Ana finished calling Kate from the landline phone, she and Christian agreed to go on a hike up the mountain. They changed into some hiking clothes before heading out.

The sun was high in the sky at this point, and even though it was almost November, the weather was very mild. Christian and Ana hiked up a winding path through the forest of tall evergreen trees, sunlight filtering in through the dense canopy of leaves and branches. Ana couldn't help but stare at her surroundings, gazing at everything as a feeling of peace filled her heart; she stopped in her tracks and stared up at the treetops, taking in the beauty of the nature around her.

She heard a clicking sound behind her, and she looked over to see Christian snapping a picture of her with his phone. He smiled guiltily at her.

"Sorry. You just looked so beautiful standing and staring off in the distance like that, I couldn't help but take a picture of you," he explained.

Ana blushed and smiled - it was amazing how easily this man could make her feel like the most beautiful girl in the world without even trying. "That's okay. We should take a picture together while we're standing here, though."

After taking a few selfies together and snapping some pictures of the tall evergreen trees, Ana and Christian decided to finish up their hike and head back to the cabin. It was well past noon now, and Ana was starting to feel hungry, so she and Christian began unpacking the coolers of all the food. They ended up just munching on apples slices, cheese wedges, and trail mix, and had a fun time sitting together on the couch feeding one another and chatting about everything and nothing.

* * *

 **~Saturday~**

Saturday was just as temperate and sunny as yesterday, and Christian had actually rented a jet ski for the two of them to take out on Big Bear Lake. Ana changed into her cute orange Heron Preston bikini, and enjoyed the lustful stares Christian was sending her way. She couldn't deny she liked what she saw too - his camo swim trunks hung low on his hips, showcasing his washboard abs and muscled pecs.

They walked outside toward the lake, and Christian slipped a life jacket over Ana's head, buckling it around her midriff. Ana smiled up at him.

"Thanks baby," she grinned, leaning up to peck him on the lips. "Do you have one too?"

"Yup, right over here," Christian said, walking over and picking it up from where they left their things by the shoreline. He chuckled as Ana took the life jacket from his hands and made to put it on him herself.

"It's only fair, right?" she asked with a grin, bringing it up over his head.

"Thank you for looking out for my safety," Christian smiled back.

They both then got on the jet ski, Christian in the front while Ana sat behind him, wrapping her arms tightly around his midriff. The jet ski suddenly revved to life, and they jetted off as water shot off behind them. Ana laughed in delight as they sped along the water, the jet ski rumbling beneath them as water sprayed about. Ana's hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and it whipped behind her wildly as pieces of hair escaped and stuck to her face. She didn't care though as she tilted her head back and closed her eyes, feeling the wind hit her.

She felt free.

"AHH!" Ana suddenly screamed in delight as Christian made a sharp left turn, spraying water everywhere in their wake. Christian laughed as well.

"Hang on baby!" he called over the noise of the jet ski, and Ana squeezed her arms tighter around his waist.

They circled the rest of the large lake, and Ana noticed a few other people on the lake riding jet skis or lounging on rowboats, enjoying the beautiful weather. They were far enough away that Ana was confident she wouldn't get recognized, but right now she couldn't bring herself to worry about that. There was nowhere else in the world she would rather be than right here… and there was nobody else she would ever want to be with here than Christian.

She couldn't resist squeezing her arms around Christian's waist and pressing a kiss to his back. Christian glanced over his shoulder at her, sending her a gorgeous smile, and Ana couldn't help but smile back.

~/~

After spending a few hours on the lake, Christian and Ana went back to the cabin to change and grab something to eat. It was way past noon at this point, and both of them were starving - Christian had packed some salmon steaks on dry ice in one of the coolers, and they decided to fry those up with some simple lemon butter sauce Ana knew how to make with the ingredients they had available. They also made a side dish of instant mashed potatoes and poured themselves some of the white wine they had left over from last night.

"This is delicious, Ana," Christian complimented her as he took a bite of the salmon with the lemon sauce. "I didn't know you could cook so well."

"I like to do it when I have the time. Tom's taught me a few techniques over the years," Ana said, taking a bite of the salmon as well. "I'm glad you packed so much food for the trip."

"I'm just hoping there aren't any bears in these woods who can smell it," Christian grimaced, and Ana giggled.

"Probably not a good idea to have made salmon, then," she pointed out, taking a bite and giggling when she saw Christian suddenly freeze, eyes wide.

They finished their meal and decided to go for another walk up the mountain before it got dark out. Thankfully, there weren't any bears in these woods, but they did get to see several squirrels skittering around the trees and a couple deer cantering about the forest floor. Ana and Christian walked side-by-side, chatting with each other while taking in the nature around them; Ana was dreading going home tomorrow, though she knew the time had to come at some point.

The sun was setting by the time they got back to the cabin, and they agreed to make a bonfire outside in the fire pit. Christian gathered the firewood and tinder while Ana took out a folding chair and a few blankets; once Christian got the fire going, he sat down on one of the chairs while Ana opted to cuddle up on his lap, a blanket covering both of their legs.

"I'm going to miss this," Ana sighed, laying her head against Christian's shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her tight. "I wish we didn't have to go back to LA tomorrow."

"Me neither," Christian murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "But we both have obligations back home we can't avoid."

"I know," Ana muttered, staring into the fire. "Maybe we could come back here again sometime?"

"Definitely," Christian smiled. "I know you have to leave for your tour soon, but maybe sometime after that?"

Ana lifted her head so she could look at Christian, her eyebrows raised. "After my tour? That's almost six months from now."

"Yeah," Christian said, frowning at her. "Do you not think we'll still be together then?"

"I don't know. I was hoping we would be, but I wasn't sure how you felt," Ana shrugged, her cheeks blushing pink. "I'm going to be gone for a long time on my tours - almost five months. You're really okay waiting around for me until then?"

"Of course I am," Christian said, sounding as if that question was ridiculous. "I'm crazy about you, Ana - I already told you I'd fight for our relationship, and since you're famous, I already knew I'd have to contend with things like world tours and paparazzi and crazed fans. It's going to suck having you away from me for so long, but we can make it work. Maybe at some point I could fly out to a city you're performing at and visit you?"

Ana felt herself tear up with emotion as she stared at Christian - without thinking, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, kissing him deeply. He was thinking about their future together in practical terms, and Ana felt her heart almost burst with love for him. She wanted to tell him how much his words meant to her, and there was one way she knew she could.

She pulled away slightly before gazing deep into his eyes. "I love you, Christian."

Christian stared back at her for a moment before letting out a small breath, his handsome face breaking out into a wide relieved smile. "Oh Ana… I love you too. So much."

They crushed their lips together in another passionate kiss, and Ana reached up to tangle her fingers in his hair, holding him tight. Christian pushed the blanket off of them before wrapping his arms more firmly around Ana's waist, and she immediately moved over so she was straddling his lap. Christian groaned against her, and Ana couldn't help but smile, nipping at his lower lip.

She loved this man with all her heart, and he loved her back. Life could not be any more perfect than this.

"I love you," she mumbled against his lips.

"I love you too, Ana," Christian whispered back, his voice earnest. "Please never doubt that."

"I won't," Ana said quietly before kissing him again.

And she knew she wouldn't.

* * *

 **A/N: Aw :) Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, Ana and Christian come home to some good news.**

 **Be sure to follow my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	23. Back to Reality

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 23: Back to Reality**

The sounds of chirping birds came from outside the cabin as Ana slowly woke up from the most relaxed sleep she'd ever had. The chilly morning air made her shiver slightly, but since she was currently wrapped up with a naked Christian Grey inside their extra large down-filled sleeping bag, she wasn't feeling cold at all. In fact, her whole body was flushed with heat as stared at his sleeping form - they had made love several times last night, reveling in each others' bodies while proclaiming their love for each other the entire time. Despite their vigorous activities last night, Ana found herself wanting Christian once again this morning.

Reaching below the covers, Ana grasped Christian's erection in her hand, and he groaned before shifting in his sleep.

 _Let's play a little game, Mr. Grey._

Ana bit her lip and smiled to herself, continuing to run her hand up and down his shaft while brushing her thumb against his tip. Christian groaned and shifted once again, still sound asleep, though he thrusted his hips slightly with the movement of Ana's hand. She leaned over and began kissing along Christian's neck, biting and nipping his skin.

"…Ana?" Christian said blearily, finally waking up.

"Good morning, handsome," Ana smiled against his neck, squeezing his dick as she continued her movements. Christian groaned once again.

"Oh baby - that feels amazing," he muttered. Ana moved her head away from his neck and met his lips in a searing kiss. "Mm… what time is it?" he muttered against her.

"Don't care," Ana murmured, letting go of his dick so she could roll over on top of him.

Christian chuckled against her, weaving his fingers through her hair. "Me neither."

With the position they were in, it only took a moment for Ana to line her center up with his cock and sink down onto it, groaning in satisfaction. They were both still under the sleeping bag, so Ana couldn't sit up to ride him the way she wanted, but she was able to lean down so their chests were pressed together.

"Oh God, Christian," Ana moaned. They were lined up eye-to-eye, and Christian took that opportunity to kiss her feverishly, thrusting into her from below.

"You are so sexy, Ana," Christian groaned against her, moving his hands down so they gripped her waist below the covers. "God I love you."

"Ah!" Ana gasped, a pleasurable sensation rippling through her body. Proclaiming their love for each other last night seemed to have done something to her, and she felt more desperate for Christian than she'd ever felt before.

She'd never been in love before… and now that she knew what it felt like, she couldn't get enough of it.

"Christian!" Ana cried out, burying her face in his shoulder. She was so close, and Christian seemed to read her body as he fucked her faster.

"Come for me Ana!"

At will, Ana came loudly around his dick, and a moment later Christian came inside of her, pumping her with his seed.

"Oh fuck!" Christian gasped as he continued to thrust inside of her. Ana shuddered against him as she slowly came down from her orgasm. "I can never get enough of you baby."

"Ditto, Mr. Grey," Ana panted, lifting her head before smiling at him. "I love you."

"And I love you," Christian smiled. "But right now we have to get ready to leave. Los Angeles awaits us."

Ana sighed, reluctant to leave this happy place with the man she loved, but knowing he was right all the same. "I suppose you're right."

* * *

It was late morning by the time Ana and Christian had gotten dressed and finished packing their things. Christian locked up the cabin and returned the keys back to the main lodge, and once he was done they headed back toward LA. The two-hour road trip was just as fun as the way out to Big Bear, but Ana couldn't help but think with some dread about when she was going to arrive home. Surely, Carla was going to be there and demand where she had been for the past three days, and Ana was going to have to tell her.

While on the road, Ana checked her messages, which she hadn't been able to do up in Big Bear. She had gotten a few texts from Ray and Kate wishing her a fun weekend, and several from Trey regarding her new album. Carla had sent over a dozen texts reminding her of different interviews and photoshoots she had scheduled for the next few days, a couple of which she had missed this weekend already.

 _Oh well - too late to fix it now._

It was a little past noon by the time Ana and Christian arrived at her estate. Several photographers and paparazzi were hanging out at the front gate, but thankfully there weren't as many as those who had been following her around for weeks now. They snapped a couple pictures of Christian's truck as he pulled into her driveway, the gate closing behind them.

"Home sweet home," Christian smiled as he parked near the front porch. Ana sighed.

"Doesn't feel like it at the moment," she muttered, unbuckling her seatbelt. The front door to the house opened and Kate walked out, waving at them.

"Hey guys," she smiled as Ana and Christian exited the car. "Welcome back. Ana, your dad's at his doctor's appointment right now and he said he'll be back a bit later."

"Okay. Thanks Kate," Ana smiled at her.

"Um…" Kate hesitated a moment. "Your mother is inside and waiting to speak with you. She found out that you sneaked away on a trip with Christian all weekend, and she's not very happy about it. Just thought you should know."

Ana and Christian exchanged a look. "Alright. I'll go deal with her right now," Ana said. "Can you help Christian with the suitcases?"

"Sure," Kate said, moving toward the trunk of Christian's car while Ana walked toward the front door.

Ana figured she'd have to deal with her mother at some point in the next day or so - might as well get it over with. She walked into the foyer, which appeared empty as soon as she walked inside. The sound of clicking heels on marble quickly met her ears, however, telling her the Carla was near.

"Anastasia!"

Ana looked toward the hallway to see her mother practically stomping toward her, glaring angrily at her daughter.

"Hi Mom," Ana said casually, crossing her arms. "What's up?"

"'What's up'?" Carla snapped, stopping in front of her. "That's seriously all you have to say? I have been texting you all weekend only to find out this morning from your CPO that you've been holed up in some cabin in the middle of nowhere with no cell service for days! And you didn't even bother to tell me!"

"That's the point of a vacation, Mom. I was disengaging from the world for a while," Ana explained, not backing down from her mother. "The media has been hounding me for weeks - I needed a break, and Christian understood."

"Of course, this was all _Christian's_ idea," Carla said disdainfully. "Was he the one who insisted you two go out into the middle of nowhere so that that neither of you could be reached?"

"No - we both wanted to go on a trip together, and he just suggested we go camping in Big Bear. I'm glad that he did, I needed that weekend away just as much as he did."

Before Carla could respond, Kate and Christian both entered the house with Ana's suitcases in tow. They both gave them polite smiles before carrying the suitcases toward the staircase and heading up to Ana's room. Carla watched them leave, and once they were gone turned back to Ana.

"Just because you want to run off into the woods and forget about your problems doesn't mean you have the luxury of doing that," she snapped. "You have obligations here in LA you can't just abandon! You were supposed to have two interviews about Colton this past weekend, but you were nowhere to be found. Don't you know how that looks to other people?"

"Oh please - practically everyone in this industry expects musicians to act like divas. It's nothing new, and you know it," Ana said angrily. "I might as well ask why it took you until today to figure out I was gone all weekend, even though I had two super important interviews to go to."

"It's not my fault you've been avoiding me. I am not the bad guy here, Anastasia," Carla said seriously. "I know that you've been angry at me, but there is no reason for that. I am just trying to do my job - it's no reason to try to hide things from me."

That last comment made Ana bristle, and she couldn't help but let out a humorless laugh. "Oh, _I'm_ trying to hide things from you? That's a bit hypocritical, don't you think, considering everything _you've_ been hiding from me?"

Carla froze. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said stiffly.

"Oh you don't?" Ana asked sarcastically. "I'm not an idiot, Mom. I know that you and Levi have been the ones coordinating this whole fake cheating scandal with Colton. Don't you think that maybe that was something I needed to know beforehand?"

Carla exhaled sharply through her nose, clearly angry. "Whatever your father told you -"

"He told me the truth," Ana interrupted her angrily. "Something you haven't done in a very long time, and now it's gone too fucking far! How could you do this to me, Mom? Is all this seriously just because you don't want me dating someone like Christian?"

"I want you to have a positive public image, Ana," Carla insisted. "Your career isn't a game. Whether you like it or not, your personal life is always on display for the whole world to see. If you don't want to be seen with Colton anymore, that's fine - we'll find another famous guy you can be with. At the end of the day, you need to maintain your celebrity status..."

"My celebrity status," Ana repeated disdainfully, rolling her eyes. "Because all the attention needs to be on me, right? The paparazzi need to be harassing me on every street corner and the tabloids need to be printing trash articles about me every day. This really is the life, isn't it? Tell me, Mom - what exactly were you trying to do for my _celebrity status_ by insinuating to my fans that I was a cheating skank?"

"That wasn't going to be the story for much longer," Carla insisted. "Later this week, Levi and I were going to leak info showing that Colton faked those DM screenshots. It'll start turning the tide of public opinion in your favor!"

Ana felt the simmering anger in her gut start to bubble over as she clenched her jaw. "No," she snapped.

Carla blinked, looking surprised. "What?"

"I said _no_ ," Ana said angrily, walking past her toward the staircase. "You are not leaking anything to the press! If I get even a whiff of you having spoken to the press about those screenshots, I will fire you in a heartbeat. Got it?"

"Anastasia!" Carla cried out, clearly shocked and angry at her threat. Ana ignored her as she continued up the stairs. "I just want to stop the negative press - why won't you just let me do that?"

Ana stopped and turned around to glare down at her mother. "Because I know your end goal isn't to make me look good, it's just to stir up drama. You wouldn't have created this whole mess in the first place if it wasn't!"

"Ana -" Carla began, but Ana cut her off.

"I've already given you a warning," Ana said firmly, pointing at her. "I'm going to take care of this whole media fiasco myself, and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it. Understood?"

Without waiting for a response, Ana turned around and continued up the stairs. Carla didn't follow her, for which Ana was thankful - her heart was pounding frantically after that confrontation, and her nervous energy caused her to practically run to her room, where Kate and Christian were waiting for her anxiously.

"Hey," Christian said, frowning in concern when he saw Ana looking so upset. He walked up to her and took her in his arms. "We heard you guys shouting down there… is everything alright?"

"No," Ana grit out, and she wrapped her arms around Christian's waist before burying her face in his chest. "I threatened to fire my mom if she made any other comments to the press about the whole Colton debacle."

"Really?" Christian asked, surprised. "Wow… good for you, Ana."

"So Carla really was the one to leak that whole fake cheating story to the press?" Kate asked, frowning in surprise.

"Yeah. She and Colton's manager Levi have been working together to create this whole fake cheating story," Ana said, pulling away from Christian. "My dad had overheard Carla talking about it, and it turned out to be true."

"Wow. Carla's really awful," Kate said contemptibly. "No offense, Ana."

"No, I agree," Ana said, rolling her eyes. "She is awful, but I'm going to try to fix this whole thing."

"What do you plan on doing?" Christian asked, and Ana sighed.

"First things first, I'm going to try to get in contact with Colton directly. He seems to be under the impression that I'm in on this whole charade, which is why he's going along with it. But he might feel differently if he knows that I've been in the dark this whole time."

Christian nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. As long as Levi doesn't find out what you're doing."

"Yeah. It'll be tough, but I have to try," Ana sighed.

There was a light knock on the door, and Christian moved to open it. It was Ray.

"Christian," Ray smiled, and looked past him to see Ana and Kate. "Oh, is everyone hanging out in here today?"

"We're avoiding Carla," Kate piped up as Ray walked inside, and Christian closed the door behind him. "She and Ana got into a fight a few minutes ago."

"That explains why Carla practically stormed past me out the front door," Ray grimaced. "She's usually in a bad mood, though, so it didn't surprise me too much."

Ana smirked humorlessly. "So how was your doctor appointment, Dad?"

"That's actually why I came looking for you, Annie," Ray said, walking forward and handing her a folded piece of paper in his hand. Ana took it, looking curious.

"Are these test results?" she asked, opening the paper and glancing over it. Her eyes suddenly widened and she let out a small gasp.

" _B_ _lood work and MRI has shown a 76% reduction in the gastric adenocarcinoma cancer cells_ ," she read, looking back up at her father. "Does this mean what I think it means?"

"Now, I'm not completely cured," Ray said quickly. "But Dr. Petra said I'm in partial remission, and it's looking promising that I'll be cancer-free very soon."

"Dad," Ana cried, and she rushed forward and threw her arms around his neck. "This is amazing news!"

"Congrats Ray," Christian said with a smile.

"That's awesome, Ray - you're kicking that cancer's ass!" Kate grinned.

"Thank you, guys," Ray chuckled, hugging Ana back. "I was thrilled to hear the news, and I couldn't wait to come home and tell my daughter that the oncologist she hired actually did his job and helped me."

Ana giggled tearfully, pulling away from her dad to smile at him. "I'm glad to be of service. And I'm glad to get at least one bit of good news today after dealing with all this crap with Mom."

Ray chuckled, and Ana couldn't help but hug him once again, overcome with happiness that her father was finally doing better.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, Ray makes the decision to go back home to Seattle.**

 **If you're not already, be sure to friend me on Facebook - I go by the username Straw Paj. And also be sure to follow my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	24. Good News

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 24: Good News**

Though Ray insisted they didn't need to do anything special, Ana felt that the appropriate way to celebrate her dad's good news was to take him out for dinner at one of the best restaurants in Beverly Hills. People usually needed a reservation weeks in advance to go to _Il Pastaio_ , but with Ana's celebrity status and high connections, they were able to secure a booth tonight in the VIP section. Ana wanted it to be a party, so she also invited Christian, Trey, Kate, and Vivian, all of whom were excited for some fine dining that they didn't have to pay for. Carla of course wasn't invited - regardless of the fact she and Ana had gotten into a fight earlier that day, this was supposed to be Ray's night, and he most likely didn't want to spend it with his ex-wife.

"Here's to Dad," Ana smiled, toasting her glass of wine. Everyone else raised their glasses too. "For kicking cancer's ass!"

"Way to go, Ray!" Vivian said happily, and the others laughed before clinking glasses with each other. Out of the corner of her eye, Ana noticed a group of photographers and paparazzi standing near the doorway of the VIP section and taking pictures of their little party. The loud clicks and flashes of their cameras were becoming a bit obnoxious.

"Anastasia, can we get a picture with you and your father?" one of the photographers shouted. He was trying to move forward with his camera, but was being held back by one of the security guards standing at the door of the VIP section.

"Do you want to take a picture?" Ana asked her father sitting beside her in the booth. "Just so you know, it'll probably end up on some celebrity gossip sites."

"That's fine, sweetheart. I think I'd like to have a picture commemorating tonight," Ray smiled, and Ana smiled back.

"Me too."

She gestured for the one photographer to come forward, and he did so eagerly, holding up his camera. Ray wrapped his arm around Ana's shoulders as they moved toward each other and smiled, and the photographer snapped several pictures in quick succession.

"Thank you so much!" he gushed once he was done. "You guys look amazing. I hope you all have a wonderful evening!"

"Thank you," Ana smiled, and waved as he was escorted back to where the the others stood.

"That was a cute picture, guys," Kate smiled at them. "The fans really do love seeing you two together. I saw the two of you actually had your own hashtag on Twitter the other day."

"That's right," Trey nodded with a grin. "A post about the two of you was trending with the hashtag _#Dadastasia_."

"Seriously?" Ana asked, feeling pleased. "I haven't gone on Twitter lately, but that's awesome."

"It is pretty clever," Ray chuckled. "And accurate too, since I am, in fact, Anastasia's Dad."

The others laughed. "Very true," Christian chuckled. "Who'd have thought so many fans would be excited at the prospect of Ana bringing her father here to LA?"

"So what are you going to do now, Ray?" Kate asked. "I mean, now that you're in remission, you don't have to take your medication anymore right?"

"Sort of," Ray said. "For the next couple months, the doctor's going to give me a significantly smaller dosage so I likely won't experience any side effects. After three months, I'll go back for a check-up and we'll see how my cancer's doing. But Dr. Petra seems confident I'll have a full remission."

"That's so great, Daddy," Ana smiled, leaning over into her father's side, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder again. "I love seeing you healthy again."

Ray didn't say anything, and Ana couldn't help but notice his smile fade slightly as he glanced down at the table. "What is it?" she asked, frowning.

"Well… I was just thinking about the future," he said hesitantly. "I'm honestly very grateful for everything you've done for me here, sweetheart, but you initially brought me to LA to help me get better. And now that I am better, I'm wondering if the time's come for me to think about going back home."

Silence fell among everyone at the table as they stared at Ray. No one knew what to say, and Ana sat up straighter in her seat, staring at her father. "What? You want to go back to Seattle?"

"It's where my home is, darling," Ray said placatingly. "I have my job and my friends back in Seattle, and my oncologist there was doing a decent job with my treatments, so if I had any medical issues I could go to him. You and I both knew I wasn't going to stay here forever."

"I know, but -" Ana began, looking upset as she stared into her father's eyes. "I'm not ready for you to go yet."

"Sweetheart," Ray said compassionately, and he pulled her into his arms in a warm, fatherly hug. The others at the table watched them, but didn't feel comfortable saying anything, so they remained silent.

"Dad, if you don't want to stay here anymore, I understand," Ana said quietly after she pulled away. She kept her eyes cast downward as she spoke. "I know that my life here in LA is insane, and if you don't want to have to deal with it anymore, I get it."

"Don't say that, Ana," Ray said firmly. "I don't care how crazy your life here in LA gets - I'll always want to be with you. I love spending time with you, and I hope you and I will visit each other a lot more now in the future."

"Of course," Ana said sincerely, smiling at her father. She took his hand in her own. "I'm sorry, Dad - I know you don't live here with me, though sometimes I wish that you did. I don't want to have to deal with Carla all by myself."

"You won't have to, Ana," Kate piped up, and Ray and Ana looked over at her. "You have us. We won't let her walk all over you."

Ana couldn't help but smile, and her eyes met Christian's. He was gazing at her with his usual look of love that never failed to make her heart stutter. "Thanks guys."

"See? You don't need me sweetheart," Ray said comfortingly. "You don't need to have your old dad hanging around and cramping your style."

The others chuckled, but Ana only gave a small smile. Ray might joke about that stuff, but she never felt like her dad was too lame for her - in fact, it was quite the opposite. For a long time he had been the only real parent in her life, and she felt she could spend every single minute of her day with him and be happy.

 _I'm really going to miss him when he's gone._

At that moment, several waiters arrived with platters of food, and everyone at the table was distracted by the amazing selection of high-class Italian cuisine they were about to eat.

* * *

The next day Ana and Ray both met with Dr. Petra, who wrote up Ray's new prescription and informed him of what to expect with possible side effects. He was aware that Ray wanted to go back home to Seattle soon, and he seemed perfectly okay with his decision to do so, especially since Ray was now in remission. He assured them he would transfer all of Ray's medical information to his oncologist back home as soon as they wished, and they could call with any questions.

"Are you okay sweetheart?" Ray asked Ana as Kate escorted them back to the SUV, where thankfully there weren't any paparazzi hanging around. "You've been a bit quiet all morning."

"I just wish you weren't leaving," Ana said, frowning slightly. "What if something goes wrong with your treatments?"

"I have a perfectly good oncologist in Seattle who'll help me with any potential complications," Ray explained patiently. "And besides, you're not going to be staying in LA either. Aren't you leaving for your tour in about a month?"

Ana didn't answer, and she was silent as Kate opened the car door for them and they climbed into the backseat. "I guess you have a point," she muttered after a moment, putting on her seatbelt.

"Sweetheart, don't be upset," Ray said compassionately, taking Ana's hand in his own and squeezing it gently. "As awful as it's been dealing with my stomach cancer, I can't say it's been completely bad. It's had the hugely wonderful benefit of bringing you into my life again."

Ana looked back up at her dad before giving him a smile. "I suppose that's true."

"And as much as I'd love for us to spend every single day together like we have been for the past couple months, I know we can't do that forever," Ray went on. "I have my own life in Seattle to get back to, and you have your tour that you're going to go on. This is all for the best."

Ana sighed before nodding. "Yeah, I know. I've just gotten so used to you to being here with me, I don't like the idea of not seeing you anymore."

"Well, we can Skype and call and text each other every single minute of the day if you want," Ray grinned, and Ana giggled. "And it's not like you'll be alone here in LA… you have Christian now."

Ana couldn't help but blush and smile as she thought about her amazing boyfriend. "Yeah, I do."

"You mentioned that he was the one who convinced you to get in contact with me again?" Ray asked, and Ana nodded. "In that case, I'm very grateful to him."

"I am too," Ana grinned. "For many reasons."

For the rest of the car ride home, Ray and Ana chatted about when he wanted to go back to Seattle and how much planning that needed to be done. They eventually decided on next week - Ana could take a day off and fly him in her private jet to SeaTac, and she'd spend the day helping him move his things back into his house. While Ana wasn't happy at the prospect of saying goodbye so soon, she knew it was for the best, and she was at least thankful she would get to say goodbye to him properly before he had to leave.

* * *

Carla showed her face only once over the next week, and that was only to drop off some travel insurance documents for Ana's upcoming tour. Ana couldn't really bring herself to care that her mom was avoiding her - while it was a bit inconvenient to not have her manager anymore, she vastly preferred the inconvenience of her absence than having to put up with her presence. The others in the house didn't seem to mind it either, and were mostly occupied with Ray preparing to head back home to Seattle.

The day had finally come for Ray to leave, and there were a lot of hugs and heartfelt goodbyes from everyone in the house who'd grown to care about him. Kate was going to drive him and Ana to the airport, where they would take her private jet all the way to SeaTac, and she would spend the day helping him move back into the house before heading back home to LA.

"Thank you sweetheart," Ray thanked his daughter as she helped him up the steps into the plane cabin. "I'd forgotten how steep these were from the first time we flew on your private jet."

Ana smiled as Ray finally stepped into the plane cabin. "If your medication is making you feel a bit dizzy, just let me or one of the flight attendants know, and you can lie down in the bedroom."

Ray chuckled. "'The bedroom'… honestly, I don't think I'll ever get used to flying in a private jet."

Ana giggled as well: her plane was rather extravagant with its luxurious plush leather seats, mahogany tables, flat screen TVs, and even a small self-serve bar. But such was the life of a famous musician. "It's definitely a lot nicer than a commercial flight, but as far as private jets go a lot of famous people go way over-the-top. Tom Cruise apparently has a full 10-seat dining table in his."

Ray and Ana sat down in two chairs by the front, and the flight attendant came by to bring them their drinks - since it was early in the morning, they opted for only orange juice. The pilot soon announced that they were cleared for take-off, and the plane began rolling down the runway before jetting off into the sky.

Ana saw her dad gaze out the window, watching LA shrink below them. "You're free to come visit me anytime you want," she said with a smile, and Ray looked over at her. "My private jet is at your disposal."

"That's very kind of you sweetheart," Ray smiled at her. "I know you're going to be busy over Christmas preparing for your tour, but I was hoping I'd come visit you sometime in the late spring once you're back."

"I'd love that," Ana grinned happily. "I'll let you know once my schedule clears up."

Ray nodded, and hesitated a moment before speaking again. "Have you thought yet about what you're going to do once your tour is over?"

"Well, I'm finishing up the songs for my next album," Ana said, thinking. "I'll likely be occupied with that, and I'll probably do another tour at some point promoting it."

"And after that?"

Ana shook her head. "I'm not sure… I haven't thought that far ahead."

"Is Carla going to be involved at all in your future work?" Ray asked, and Ana blinked, surprised.

"Um... well, she's always been involved in my music career," she said. Ray let out a sigh.

"I want you to be happy, Pumpkin," he said sincerely. "And I know that she's your mother, but I'm worried Carla will only ever put your career before your own personal happiness. I only want what's best for you, darling."

"I know, Dad," Ana said. "But things aren't so bad. My music does make me happy a lot of the time, and I do have people in my life now that I can rely on. There's you, and now there's Christian." She smiled. "I am happy."

"But does being famous make you happy?"

Ana's smile faltered at his unexpected question. "Um… I don't know. I know my fans make me happy."

"But this level of fame that you're operating at right now," Ray explained. "The fame and fortune that lets you fly in private jets and go on world tours… is this what you wanted when you first set off in pursuit of your music career?"

Ana didn't answer. In truth, she had never really desired fame and fortune when she was younger - she always just wanted to sing and write music. Admittedly, her seventeen-year-old self was intrigued at the concept of becoming famous, but she had been very naive when going with Carla to LA. Ana had believed that her mother truly cared about her and wanted what was best for her, but Carla had demonstrated over and over again throughout the years that she only cared about money and fame. If not for herself, than by proxy through her daughter.

"I don't mean to upset you," Ray said compassionately, noticing Ana's contemplative silence. "I just hope you know that you'll always have a choice. If you don't want to continue your career as you have been for the past few years, you don't have to."

"It's not that simple, Dad," Ana said quietly. "The music industry is messy. I have contracts that I'm legally-bound to fulfill, and I have lots of people who depend on me for income. Plus, I have millions of fans who aren't just going to forget about me in a day…"

"I'm not saying you have to walk away right at this moment," Ray assured her. "I just mean it's something for you to think about. If you want to continue your music career in this manner, you're free to do that, but I just don't want you to feel like you're stuck in a life that was pretty much chosen for you. Or that anyone - especially your mother - gets to tell you how to run your life."

Ana didn't answer, thinking over everything he just said, and Ray turned back to gaze out the plane window. While a large part of her was skeptical of his advice, a small hopeful part of her couldn't help but want to believe him. Could she really find her way to a normal life someday? One that didn't revolve around world tours and millions of screaming fans?

 _Could it really be possible?_

Only a few months ago, she would have found that idea ridiculous. But now… now she had found someone who truly loved her, and who she loved in return. The prospect of living a normal life with Christian, no matter how far down the road it was, felt more and more possible. But not just possible... _appealing._

 _My life should be my choice_.

Such a simple idea held so much meaning to her now, and she couldn't help but smile. She was going to take her life back into her hands - away from Carla and the power she had held over her since she was seventeen.

And the first thing she was going to do when she got back to LA was find a way to talk to Colton in person and fix this fake media scandal once and for all.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, we'll get to see Colton once again.**

 **Be sure to check out my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	25. Public Secrets

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 25: Public Secrets**

 **~Four days later~**

Living in the lap of luxury definitely had its perks, and if Colton West had to pick his absolute favorite place in the world, it would be the Pacific Ocean where he would drive his 100-foot Ferretti Yacht in the bay right off of Long Beach.

The weather was gorgeous and clear today, warm winds blowing over the ocean as Colton stepped outside onto the deck of his boat, wearing nothing but dark blue swim trunks and a pair of Tom Ford sunglasses. He gazed out over the water with a grin on his face, taking in the beauty and serenity of his surroundings. If he had his phone in his hand right now, he'd take a picture.

"Colton, c'mere."

Colton looked over and smiled when he noticed Gigi Hadid, his personal guest for today, sitting on the bow of his boat. She looked stunning in a tiny black bikini and one of his white button-down shirts hanging loosely over her slim shoulders; she was currently striking a sultry pose, holding her phone out and taking a selfie with the blue ocean behind her.

"What's up, babe?" Colton asked, walking over to her.

"Take a selfie with me."

He moved over so he was right beside her, and she draped her slender arm around his shoulders before holding the phone in front of their faces. They both smiled for the camera - or more like he smiled, and she gave her signature sultry model stare.

"That was cute," she said, bringing the phone back down and tapping the screen. "I think I'll use a Valencia filter on this one."

"Nice," Colton said, still sitting beside her. He snaked his arm around her waist, smirking. "So what did you want to do today?"

"I dunno," she said mindlessly, still occupied with her phone.

"Well, we can sail a bit more, or we can head back toward land…" Colton said, his hand rubbing the smooth skin of her back. "Or maybe we could spend a little more time below deck?"

"Ew Colton, stop being such a perv," Gigi scrunched her nose at him before handing him her phone. "Here, take a picture of me looking out toward the ocean."

Trying to hide his disappointment, Colton slid his arm off of her waist and took her phone. He got to his feet and held her phone up so he could get a good frame of her staring out into the ocean, running a hand through her wavy hair so it looked more windswept. He snapped the picture of her before handing her phone back.

"Thanks babe," she said distractedly, tapping away at her phone once again.

"No problem," Colton said, scratching the back of his head. He couldn't help but wish he had brought along a whole party on his boat today instead of just Gigi, but he supposed it was too late now. "I'll be right back, I just need to call my manager."

"'Kay."

Colton went below deck into the bedroom, picking up his phone which he had left charging on his bedside table. He noticed a couple missed calls from Levi already, and he quickly dialed him back.

"Colton, where are you?" Levi asked by way of greeting.

"In my boat, somewhere in the bay off of Long Beach," Colton said. "Why, what's up?"

"Well get dressed and get your boat back to land ay-sap," Levi insisted. "You've got a meeting with a reporter from _US Weekly_."

"What? You said I had my morning free today," Colton said, frowning.

"The reporter called this morning, so it's kind of a last minute thing," Levi said apologetically. "She's from _US Weekly_ and wants to talk to you candidly about those DM screenshots. It's important for you to be there."

Colton grimaced, glancing toward the door leading to the deck. "I dunno… I'm kind of in the middle of something right now."

"The reporter is Gia Matteo, and she's willing to pay you for speaking to her about this," Levi explained, unrelenting. "She's a high-profile reporter, and her article will likely get a lot of attention - she's willing to meet with you, but it has to be in person at _The Fieldhouse_ at ten-thirty."

Colton checked the clock on the wall, noticing it was a little past nine-thirty. He sighed. "Alright, I'll try to make it."

"Thank you Colton," Levi said gratefully. "I'll be at the restaurant waiting for you - please don't be late."

"I won't be."

They said their goodbyes before hanging up. Though Colton wished he could've stayed on his boat all day like he had originally planned, he honestly wasn't too upset about leaving. There was very little to do out here other than laze around, and Gigi hadn't exactly proven herself to be good company. That girl was more preoccupied with her social media presence than she was with him.

Colton quickly threw on a t-shirt before making his way above deck to head back to shore.

* * *

"There you are."

Levi, who had been sitting at the bar at _The Fieldhouse_ , smiled in relief when he saw Colton finally walk through the front doors of the restaurant. It was almost ten-thirty, and Levi was clearly worried he wouldn't show up.

"Dude, relax. I told you I'd be here," Colton said, glancing around him. The place was currently packed for brunch, and a lot of people were staring at him - several people nearby were pulling their phones out to snap a picture. "So where's this Gia Matteo woman?"

"Mr. West?"

Colton turned to see a very attractive blonde woman approach him, wearing jeans and a black leather jacket. She smiled as she held her hand out.

"Hi. Are you the reporter?" Colton asked, shaking her hand and smiling charmingly.

"No, I work for Ms. Matteo," the woman explained. "She's waiting in the back room right now. I can take you to her."

"Sweet," Colton said, glancing back at Levi. "Did you want to come?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," the blonde woman said quickly. "Only you're allowed in the back room, Mr. West. Your manager is free to stay out here until you come back though."

"It's fine Colton. I have a few calls to make anyway," Levi said, waving him away. "I'll be here when you're done."

Colton nodded before following the blonde woman through the restaurant, weaving their way through the tables. He heard people whispering amongst themselves around him, and he smiled and waved at a group of teenage girls who were snapping pictures of him with their phones. They all giggled in excitement.

They made it to the back of the restaurant, where nobody was seated. They walked down a hallway where there was a door at the end, and the woman stopped, turning to Colton.

"After you," she smiled, gesturing for him to go before her. He complied, opening the door and stepping inside the room.

It was a small private dining room, and Colton noticed two people at the far end of the large table. One was a guy sitting in a chair, his elbows resting on the table, and the other was a blonde woman standing and facing away from the door.

Colton heard the door snap shut behind him, and the woman who came with him moved to stand in front of it. "We're clear."

The blonde woman now turned around and looked right at Colton, and he blinked in shock when he recognized her. "Wait - _Ana_?"

"Hi Colton," Ana smiled nervously at him. She reached up and pulled her blonde wig off, revealing her normal chestnut brown hair.

"Um, I'm confused," he said, glancing back toward the door. "I was supposed to be meeting a reporter from _US Weekly_ today. What the hell are you doing here?"

"Sorry, but we kind of had to lie to Levi," Ana apologized. "Gia Matteo is a friend of mine, and she really is a reporter over at _US Weekly_. We let her know what we were doing today, and she covered for us."

Colton, still in a bit of shock, just stared at Ana for a moment. "Um, okay…" he said slowly, frowning. "You know you could have just called me if you wanted to talk, right?"

"I wasn't sure if Levi was tracking your cell phone or your social media accounts," Ana explained. "Also, I wanted us to be face-to-face when I told you that Levi and Carla have been lying to both of us for weeks now."

Colton raised his eyebrows in surprise. "They have? Wait -" Something suddenly clicked in his brain. "Is this about those DM screenshots? Because when we planned it, I told Levi I wanted talk to you about it first, but he said that Carla was going to explain it to you…"

"That's exactly why I'm here," Ana said seriously. "I'm sorry Colton, but Carla never told me about what you and Levi did. I was just as surprised by those screenshots as everyone else was."

Colton felt like he had suddenly been punched in the gut as he stared at Ana in shock. "Wait, _what_?" he asked, dumbfounded. "Please tell me you're kidding."

"No, I'm not," Ana shook her head, looking distressed. "I wish I was. Carla and Levi lied to the both of us."

"Oh my God," Colton rubbed a hand over his forehead in distress. "The media's been going nuts over those screenshots… and you didn't even know! God Ana, I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," Ana said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "It's Carla's. She hid the truth from me on purpose."

Colton frowned at her. "Why would she do that?"

Ana didn't say anything for a moment. "I guess it was her way of controlling me," she said, looking down at the table. "Of making me think I was losing grip of my public persona and I needed to do something drastic to try to get a hold of it again. She probably thought that if I got a new A-list celebrity boyfriend, the press coverage would start turning in my favor."

"That's psychotic," Colton looked horrified. "Why would she go to those lengths to try to get you to date someone?"

"Because I refused to do it when she told me to," Ana said, sitting down in the seat beside the guy. She reached for his hand, and they laced their fingers together, smiling at each other. "I fell in love with someone else, and he's not a celebrity. My mother doesn't approve, to say the least."

Colton's eyes flicked over to the guy, and a vague sense of recognition gave him pause for a second. "Don't I know you from somewhere?"

"I was her CPO for a few months," the guy explained. "I started working for her about a month or so before you guys broke up, but she and I didn't get together until afterwards."

Colton felt a bit surprised. He sort of remembered Ana's CPO Christian, but at the time he hadn't detected any sort of attraction between the two of them. But then again he wasn't really paying attention. "Oh."

"It's been tough hiding our relationship from the public, but so far we've been really happy together," Ana said, and she and Christian exchanged another smile.

"Wow… I'm happy for you guys," Colton said sincerely. "Seriously. God, this whole fake cheating scandal thing really seems like a dick move on my part."

"We need your help to stop this, Colton," Ana said firmly, getting up from her seat and moving toward him. "Carla and Levi lied to us, but I'm going to try to fix this. You can help us, but you can't let Levi know what we're doing."

"I promise you, I won't tell him anything," Colton swore to them. "What do you need me to do?"

Ana laid out her whole plan, and Colton listened with rapt attention. However, he immediately shook his head when he heard what he had to do. "No. No way - uh uh, I'm not admitting to the public that I lied. Do you have any idea how that would make me look?"

"It's the only way you and I can come out of this with our reputations intact," Ana said firmly. "We'll time your confession so it will come out around the same time as my interview. It'll be fine."

"I'll look like a complete asshole," Colton grumbled, frowning.

"Better than looking like a cheating skank," Ana said coldly, and Colton was silent. "It won't be that bad. Your fans will still love you, and all the more now because you're willing to be honest about mistakes you've made."

Colton let out a sigh, weighing his options. "Alright, fine," he said reluctantly. "I'll do it. And I won't tell Levi what's going on either."

"We're trusting you with this, Colton," Ana went on imploringly, and Colton looked at her. "We need to be able to get control of this narrative, and we can't do it without your help."

Colton, more solemn, nodded his head. "I get it, Ana - I do. If Levi did to me what Carla did to you, I'd be pretty pissed off too. I promise, you can count on me. I won't say a word of this to him or anyone else."

Ana nodded, smiling at him gratefully. "Thank you."

~/~

The blonde woman now led Colton back toward the bar area where Levi was waiting for him.

"I didn't catch your name," Colton said to her.

"It's Kate," she said simply, keeping her gaze forward.

"Kate - that's a pretty name," he smiled. "Are you seeing anyone, Kate?"

"As far as you're concerned, yes."

Colton laughed. "So that's a no, then."

"Does the whole 'cocky bastard' thing always work on girls?" Kate asked, glancing over at him with a raised eyebrow.

"If it didn't, I wouldn't be taking you out to dinner tonight," Colton said with a cocky grin.

"No, you're not," she said firmly, looking ahead again.

"Oh come on - you're going to turn down a date with _me_?" he asked, pressing a hand to his chest. "I'm Colton West!"

"And I'm just a girl who works for a girl who knows your dick size," Kate lobbed right back, shooting him a sarcastic smirk. Colton could only blink at her for a moment before letting out a chuckle.

"Man, you're a feisty one. I like that."

A moment later, they were back at the bar where Levi was waiting for him. "Thank you for your time, Mr. West," Kate said to Colton cordially, and he looked at her. "Ms. Matteo will give you a call if she has any more questions."

"Oh, okay. Um… thanks," Colton nodded at her, and she walked away.

"So how was the interview?" Levi asked him immediately. "Did Ms. Matteo tell you when it's going to print?"

"It should be in about a week or so," Colton lied. "I think it went well."

"I hope she stuck to the questions I sent her earlier," Levi said insistently. "She didn't try to trick you into answering any 'gotcha' questions, did she?"

"No... she didn't do anything like that," Colton said, scratching the back of his head. "If it's cool with you though, I think I'd like to hold off on talking to the press about the DM screenshots until that interview goes to print."

"Good idea," Levi nodded, and he pulled out his phone. "We want to maximize the impact of your interview with Gia Matteo. I'll cancel that interview you were supposed to have with E! News."

Levi led the way out of the restaurant, still texting away at his phone, and Colton followed him, resolved with the lie he'd just told to his manager.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, Ana gives an interview to Gia Matteo.**

 **PS - Yes I'm aware the real Gigi Hadid is currently dating Zayn Malik. What I wrote was just a fictional representation of her and how I imagine she conducts most of her relationships ;)**

 **Be sure to check out my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	26. The Interview

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 26: The Interview**

 **~The next day~**

The following morning, Kate headed downstairs and noticed Ana sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, looking over something on her laptop.

"Hey Ana," Kate said, approaching her. She checked her watch. "Isn't your Skype interview with Gia Matteo starting soon?"

"In about ten minutes," Ana said, clicking on something. "I'm just reviewing my notes, making sure I have my story straight."

"Good idea," Kate said, making her way over to the fridge. "And is Colton going to come out with his apology after the interview is printed?"

"Yup, which will be in a couple days," Ana confirmed. "He texted me earlier to let me know. He also asked me to give you his phone number… know what that's all about?"

Kate snorted, rolling her eyes as she grabbed a can of Coke from the fridge. "Jeez, that guy doesn't quit. He was hitting on me yesterday after you talked to him, and I made it clear that I was never gonna sleep with him. Looks like he didn't get the hint."

Ana couldn't help but giggle. "That's probably why he likes you - you're making him work for it."

"Ah, so I feed into his insecure masculinity," Kate joked, walking over to the breakfast bar and leaning her elbows onto it. "Good to know why someone like him would want to go out with me."

"So do you want his phone number?" Ana asked. Kate scoffed.

"Seriously? He's a big douche, and he's your ex-boyfriend."

"Oh don't worry about that, I never felt anything even resembling love toward Colton," Ana brushed off. "I'm with Christian now, and I couldn't ask for anyone better. If you wanted to sleep with Colton, no one's stopping you."

"I kind of already said to him that he has a small dick…" Kate said hesitantly, fingering the can of soda, and Ana laughed.

"And he still wants you to call him? He must really want to sleep with you," she smirked.

"I'm not even looking for anything right now," Kate shook her head.

"You hooking up with Colton doesn't have to lead to a relationship - just take a night off for some no-strings-attached sex," Ana shrugged, grabbing a stack of post-it notes by her laptop and scribbling Colton's number on it. "You could definitely do worse."

"Hm," Kate said thoughtfully, accepting the slip of paper from Ana. "I'll think about it."

Ana checked her watch again. "My interview's gonna start in a few minutes. I better take the Skype call up in my office."

"Alright. Break a leg," Kate grinned, and Ana waved as she walked out of the kitchen toward the staircase.

* * *

Ana stepped into her office before closing the door behind her, quietly locking it to ensure no one would disturb her. Taking a deep breath, she walked over to her computer and turned it on, clicking onto Skype. She made sure her webcam was focused on her face before she received a video chat request from Gia Matteo.

After clicking Accept, a beautiful blonde woman sitting in an open concept living room appeared onscreen. She smiled and waved at the camera.

"Hi Anastasia," Gia said with a smile. "Can you see me?"

"I can see you," Ana smiled back. "How are you, Gia?"

"I'm doing great. I'm very excited for this interview you're letting me do," Gia grinned, grabbing what looked like a stack of papers from her desk and straightening them. "My boss is definitely going to love this."

"Glad I could help," Ana said sincerely. "I didn't get a chance to thank you for what you did for us yesterday. I know you were probably risking your job calling up Levi and lying to him about wanting to interview Colton."

"Hey, it's the least I could do," Gia insisted. "And you're giving me this interview in return, so that more than makes up for it. My boss definitely isn't going to fire me now."

Ana giggled. "Glad to hear it."

The two of them continued to make small talk for a few more minutes before Gia finally gathered up all her materials, including a pen and a pad of paper.

"Alright," Gia said, putting on a pair of thick black-frame glasses. "You ready to get started?"

"Let's do this," Ana nodded, straightening in her seat.

"I guess the first thing I'd like to know is how have you been dealing with the fallout since Colton revealed those DM screenshots?"

"It's been very difficult," Ana said honestly. "I was really shocked when I heard about what Colton claimed I did, and it was worse knowing that millions of people around the world had seen it. The media has been relentless trying to find answers, and it's been really hard trying to live my life and also take care of my dad when reporters and paparazzi are harassing me at every turn."

"And how has your father been dealing with this whole situation?"

"He's dealing with it as best he can. He knows the truth, that I never cheated on Colton, and I hate seeing him upset over these horrible lies Colton and the media have said about me. I try my best to keep my dad away from the spotlight and the paparazzi, but it's been proving difficult."

"You say that what Colton said about you was a lie," Gia went on, looking down at her notes. "And you recently came out in an interview with iHeart Radio also saying that what he claimed was completely false. Can you expand on that?"

"I could, but I don't know what else there is to say on the subject," Ana shrugged. "Colton lied. He doctored those screenshots to make it look like I was cheating on him while we were together. If I have to show the public every single one of my DMs in the past few years to prove it, I will. I rarely go on social media, even to privately message people, and I know for a fact I wasn't cheating on him."

"That must be frustrating, but you seem very calm about the situation. Do you hate Colton for what he's been saying about you?"

"I'm upset obviously, but I wouldn't say that I hate him. As much as I hate what he did, a part of me understands why he did it. When it comes to breakups, sometimes people want to justify them by saying something dramatic, like the other person was unfaithful, lying, or crazy. It's really not a healthy way to look at the end of relationships, I think, and it's not how I ever wanted to look at the end of my relationship with Colton."

"Have you spoken to Colton since he came out with those screenshots?"

"We spoke a few days ago. I was upset, but I tried my best not to get angry at him when I asked about the screenshots. Thankfully, our conversation didn't get heated, and I feel that we had a good discussion overall."

"If you don't want to divulge the details of your conversation with Colton, I understand, but can you at least tell us if he admitted to faking those screenshots?"

"What he admitted to me was in confidence, and if he chooses to go public with what he said, that's his choice," Ana said diplomatically.

"That's a very vague answer," Gia teased, and Ana couldn't help but smile and shrug. "Well, let's hope Colton comes to his senses and finally gives us the real truth."

"I hope so too," Ana agreed.

"So, to change tack a little… your _Love & Consequences_ tour is coming up in about a month, and some outlets have speculated that this whole media drama with Colton is just a manufactured way for you to advertise your upcoming tour. What do you think about that?"

"It's so stupid," Ana shook her head. "Obviously I think it's ridiculous for people to think that. Anyone who's followed my career knows that I've never, ever tried to get attention to myself in that way, and I hope my fans at least will know that."

"What can your fans expect to happen in your tour in the upcoming months?" Gia asked.

"Well, our tour's going to be traveling all over the United States and Canada, to about 40 cities, and all the fans can expect to hear songs from my latest album as well as a few classics. They may even get to hear a song or two from my upcoming album, which I'm currently working on and I'm very excited about."

"Really?" Gia asked, eyebrows raised in surprise and delight. "Is this an official announcement of a brand new Anastasia album?"

"I suppose it is," Ana giggled. "I've been in talks with my label, and I've been working on a lot of new songs lately which will hopefully go into a new album by this time next year."

"Can you give us a little hint of what kind of songs we're going to hear in this new album?"

"Well, like I said, it's still in the works, but I want this new album to be about love. About what it's like to be in love and the happiness associated with knowing someone out there loves you."

"Sounds romantic," Gia smiled. "Would you say this new album stems from personal experiences?"

"Yes, actually," Ana smiled, and her cheeks blushed pink. "I haven't really spoken about this yet, but for the past couple months I've been seeing someone new. He's not in the public sphere like I am, but he and I are very happy together. I can honestly say I've never felt this way about anyone before."

"That's wonderful," Gia said sincerely. "I wish you the very best in your new relationship. Is he coming along with you on your tour?"

"No he's not," Ana grimaced, her voice melancholy. "I wish he was though. I'm really going to miss him while I'm gone."

"Oh, well that's unfortunate," Gia said sympathetically.

"Yeah, it is. But truthfully, I think he and I are in a really good place right now in our relationship. We have a strong foundation of love and trust, and I know that he and I will be completely solid while I'm off on my tour."

"Well, that's great Anastasia. When can I find a relationship like that?" Gia joked, and Ana laughed.

"Trust me, I was very lucky."

"I'm happy for you," Gia said sincerely. "And I think that's about all the questions I have for you, unless there's anything else you wanted to add?"

"Maybe just put a note at the end of the article telling people to respect my and my boyfriend's privacy since we haven't chosen to go public yet."

"Of course," Gia nodded.

The two of them chatted for a couple more minutes, and Gia informed her that the article will be coming out on the _US Weekly_ website in about two days' time. She also promised Ana would get to read the article before it was made public, and Ana thanked her. They soon said their goodbyes and logged off.

Once Ana exited out of Skype, she took a deep steadying breath, trying to calm her pounding heartbeat. There were many emotions currently coursing through her body, but the most prominent one at the moment was relief. She was happy with what she had done, but she knew she still had to deal with her mother once she found out what Ana had done behind her back. It was all worth it, though.

She also hadn't expected to talk about Christian, but she was glad she did it. It was going to legitimize her relationship in a way that Carla refused to acknowledge, but now would have to whether she liked it or not. Ana only hoped Christian would be okay with it, though.

After another minute or so of quiet reflection, Ana slowly got up from her seat and gathered her things. She turned off her computer and made her way toward the door.

Once she opened it, she immediately saw Carla standing in the hallway, looking right at her.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for reading! Next chapter, Carla and Ana have a little chat.**

 **Be sure to check out my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	27. A Positive Light

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 27: A Positive Light**

There was a brief silence as Ana and Carla stared at each other, their surprise rendering them temporarily mute. A moment later, Ana, regaining her senses, moved to step past her, but Carla finally spoke up:

"What were you doing in there?" she asked.

Ana stopped and turned to look at her, her face expressionless. "Why do you care?"

"Don't bullshit me, Ana," Carla glared at her. "I overheard you talking to a woman. It sounded like you were giving her an interview."

"So what if I was?" Ana countered, standing firm.

"I know full well you didn't have an interview scheduled for today," Carla said in a voice of forced calm, though Ana could practically hear her clenching her teeth. "What the hell were you doing in there?"

"I thought I made it clear that you have no say anymore in who I speak to about the media situation with Colton," Ana said firmly, turning to walk away.

"Ana, _what did you do_?" Carla demanded, following her down the hallway. "Tell me, goddammit!"

"I cleaned up your mess!" Ana whipped around, glaring at her. "And there's no point in yelling at me about it, because it's already done!"

"Are you out of your mind?!" Carla yelled, ignoring her. "Does Marcy at least know what you've done?"

"At the moment, neither you nor Marcy nor anyone else has any say over what I do with my public image," Ana said firmly. "I've been in this industry long enough to understand what had to be done in order to clean up this mess, and I took the steps to fix it. You weren't needed, and so I decided not to inform you. You're just going to have to deal with it."

"Ana," Carla said, but Ana ignored her as she turned back around and headed downstairs. " _Ana…_!"

But she was already gone. Carla quickly turned around and hurried into her daughter's office, hoping to see if the computer was still on. It was off, and Carla knew it was password-protected - cursing to herself, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Levi.

It went straight to voicemail, and Carla swore to herself once again. "Dammit Levi, pick up the phone!" she snapped into the receiver when it prompted her to leave a message. "Something's going on with Anastasia, and I think Colton might be in on it too. Call me back right now."

She ended the call before turning her gaze out the door toward the hallway where Ana left. Her anxiety and anger over not knowing what had happened was making her seethe.

 _What the hell did my daughter do?_

* * *

 ******* _ **ANASTASIA CLAIMS IN NEW INTERVIEW SHE DIDN'T CHEAT ON COLTON WEST*****_

 _ **(And might actually have proof she's telling the truth!)**_

 **Pop sensation Anastasia has been making the news in recent weeks with accusations by her now ex-boyfriend Colton West that she had cheated on him while they were still together. However, Anastasia has refuted those claims in a shocking new interview with** _ **US Weekly**_ **stating that Colton has apologized to her in a private conversation, insinuating he had lied about the DMs! So who's telling the truth? WTF is going on?!**

 **In addition to all this, Anastasia also admitted in the interview to being in a secret relationship with a new man… who's NOT a celebrity! Who is this mystery guy who's captured the heart of America's very own Pop Princess? All of us at** _ **The Nooz**_ **can't wait to find out.**

As expected, the publication of Gia's interview sent shockwaves throughout the celebrity gossip world. Ana saw multiple websites, verified social media accounts, and celebrity news shows talking about it, all of them pretty much speculating the same things: did Colton really lie about those screenshots? And who is Anastasia's new boyfriend?

"Anything yet?" Ana asked Kate. The two of them and Christian were currently sitting at the large dining room table, all of them scrolling through their laptops and trying to find any updates to the developing story.

"I don't think Colton's made any statements yet," Kate grimaced, clicking onto her Google alerts. "At least none that's been reported on."

"Do you think I should call him?" Ana asked hesitantly, picking up her phone. "Maybe he hasn't seen my interview yet."

"Maybe."

"Hold on," Christian suddenly said, clicking onto something. "Colton just tweeted something a minute ago. Look."

He turned his laptop around so Kate and Ana could see his screen. It was Colton's Twitter account with a short statement tweeted out approximately three minutes ago:

" _Breakups are rough, but I was still wrong for showing those DMs. Im sorry for lying Ana. I hope the new guy in your life deserves you!"_

Below his tweet was a link to the _US Weekly_ article, and Ana and Kate could do little more than just gape at the screen in shock.

"Holy crap, Colton followed through," Kate said in a tone of unmistakable surprise.

"Yeah, looks like it," Ana said, and she let out an incredulous chuckle. "I almost can't believe it."

"Do you think this one tweet will be enough, though?" Christian asked, turning his laptop back around so it was facing him again. "People might still speculate."

"I think it will be enough," Ana smiled. She pulled out her phone and tapped something on the screen. "I'm going to text Colton to say thank you."

She texted him, and a few moments later her phone buzzed with his response. She let out a snort of laughter as she read it out loud. " _U can thank me by getting me a date w/ ur security girl Kate._ "

Christian laughed. "Wow, he said that?" he asked. Kate gawped at Ana.

"Are you serious?" she said incredulously, taking the phone from Ana and reading what was on it. She groaned. "Oh my God."

"You should do it," Ana said encouragingly, taking the phone back. "That's all he's asking me for, and it's the least I can do for him since he's corroborating my story."

"What did I ever do to you to deserve this?" Kate asked Ana sarcastically.

"Come on Kate, it's only one date," Christian said reasonably. "And it's the one thing Colton's asking for. Just go and get it over with."

"Jesus Christ, you too?" Kate frowned at Christian. "Are you both ganging up on me?"

"Yes, 'cause we're a team," Ana smiled, and she and Christian high-fived. Kate rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, fine," she said despondently. "I'll go on a date with that douchebag. But in return, I'd like an extra vacation day."

"Done," Ana smiled, and she quickly pulled out her phone to text Colton back. She quickly read his response: "He's asking if tomorrow night at 7 o'clock will work for you? He says he'll make a reservation at _Spago_."

"Whatever," Kate said, getting up to leave. "I'm going to go through your closet to find an outfit," she shouted over her shoulder before disappearing up the stairs.

"Y'know, she talks to you so casually, it's almost hard to believe she's your employee," Christian pointed out to Ana, smirking.

"Hey, you were my employee at one point too," Ana countered, grinning right back at him. "And look where we are now."

"Fair point," Christian agreed with a smile. "I have to say, I'm pretty happy I'm not working for you anymore, especially now that Carla doesn't boss me around like she used to. Have you heard from your mother at all today yet?"

"No, I haven't," Ana said, her smile fading. "I haven't heard a peep from her since our argument two days ago. I'm sure she's seen this interview already, though."

"Probably," Christian nodded. "Do you think she's mad about it?"

Ana snorted. "Of course she's mad. And I'm sure Levi's pretty pissed off too since Colton didn't tell him about it either."

"It was really good of Colton to stick to his word and admit he lied... though I think he just did it to get a date with Kate," Christian chuckled. "It seems like he's following in your footsteps with wanting to date a CPO, huh?"

"I suppose he is," Ana giggled. "I know Kate doesn't like him all that much, but I can honestly kind of see her and Colton together. Their personalities complement each other, and Kate's strong-willed enough to keep him in line."

"I would agree with that actually, though I do think it's kind of weird you're trying to hook up your friend with your ex-boyfriend."

"Oh please. I don't have any lingering feelings at all toward Colton," Ana brushed off. She got to her feet and walked over to Christian's side of the table, slipping her arms around his neck. "The most I ever felt for him was just a sense of friendship, and I know that's how he's always felt toward me too. You're the only man I've ever been in love with, and I plan on it staying that way."

Christian smiled, and he slipped his own hands around Ana's waist, pulling her closer. "Well, I suppose I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. You did just announce our love to the world, after all."

Ana's beautiful smile lit up her face. "I sure did," she grinned before leaning down to kiss him on the lips. Christian happily kissed her back.

* * *

 **~3 Days Later~**

Anastasia's interview and Colton's tweet caused the celebrity gossip world to buzz with excitement for days after they came out. While most people had expected Anastasia to deny having cheated on Colton, it was a huge surprise for Colton to actually publicly corroborate her story. There were a few people who wondered if what Anastasia and Colton said was true, but a vast majority of celebrity news outlets came to the consensus that Anastasia had never cheated on Colton, and Colton had been a huge dick for outright lying about those DM's.

Unfortunately, Colton did get a lot of negative press coverage after his tweet went viral. Lying about his ex cheating on him to garner attention for himself seemed like a real dick thing to do, and even more so since Anastasia's response to it all was so calm and respectful. To a lot of people, the fact that Colton had admitted to lying wasn't a good enough apology for everything he'd done to Anastasia, and they wanted revenge. Ana made a point of tweeting out a statement, saying that she'd already forgiven Colton, and she urged the public to forgive him too. Thankfully, her statement seemed to help calm people down a bit, and the hype was able to die down relatively quickly.

Speculation about Anastasia's new boyfriend was also a topic that took the internet by storm. A few days after her interview came out, the hashtag _#MysteryBae_ started trending on Twitter, comprising of people (mostly Fanastasias) trying to figure out who Ana's new secret boyfriend was. Since Ana was photographed practically everywhere she went, it wasn't hard for a lot of people to find pictures of her with other men who could have potentially been her secret boyfriend. Miraculously, nobody seemed to find pictures of her with Christian, so that was a relief at least.

Despite all his negative press, Colton bore the whole situation fairly well. It was a surprise, but Ana suspected he wouldn't have bore it half so well if he didn't have a date with Kate to look forward to - which, to him apparently, more than made up for it.

Kate and Colton had gone out on their date together as planned, and while Kate insisted afterwards that it was the one and only time she would ever go out with him, she also admitted it wasn't the worst date she'd ever been on. Ana took that to mean she had a good time, so that was a good thing at least.

Carla, meanwhile, hadn't shown her face at all since Ana's interview came out. Ana couldn't really bring herself to care all that much, although not knowing what her mother was planning to do caused her to worry a bit. It wasn't until almost a week later, when Ana was walking down the stairs toward the foyer, when she saw her front door open and Carla walk in, looking like her usual poised self in a gray and white pantsuit.

Ana stopped halfway down the staircase, and Carla took a few steps into the house before she noticed Ana standing there. She stopped too, and the two women silently looked at each other, neither knowing what to say.

"Hi Mom," Ana finally spoke up, keeping her voice neutral. "Long time no see."

Carla crossed her arms, still gazing back at her daughter. "Hello darling. You were big news this week," she said in a stiff voice.

"Apparently so," Ana said, walking down the rest of the stairs into the foyer. "It's dying down though, so things will be back to normal in no time."

"Well, I guess everything's just wrapping up all neat and tidy for you, isn't it?" Carla asked, her voice unmistakably spiteful. "And right before your national tour… looks like you'll get to have your cake and eat it too, won't you?"

"Stop it, Mom," Ana said, glaring at her. "I didn't want to do this, but you forced me to. I did the right thing and you know it."

"Dammit Ana, I told you I would take care of it," Carla said angrily, taking a step toward her. "You're lucky that interview you did worked out for you, but what if it hadn't worked out at all? What if you had said the wrong thing, or the public only believed Colton's side of events? Too many things could have gone wrong in this situation - you should have just let me handle it."

"So you could, what exactly? Manufacture another scandal to try to get more attention for me?" Ana asked angrily. "Why can't you understand that I don't _want_ to be in the spotlight as much as you're forcing me to be in it?"

Carla blinked, clearly shocked by that statement. "Excuse me? I'm _forcing_ you to be in the spotlight? You're one of the most famous pop stars in the world, Anastasia! You're in the spotlight whether you want to be or not!"

"Well, I don't _want_ to be anymore!" Ana yelled, overriding Carla. "After my tour and my next album, I'm taking a break. End of story."

Carla looked as if she had just been slapped in the face. In Ana's entire five years of being famous, she had never taken a break: she'd had a new album come out and go platinum every year since she was nineteen. "You can't be serious, Anastasia! You're just going to stop making music? You're not even going to promote your next album?"

"That's right," Ana said firmly. "And there's nothing you can do to stop me."

"Darling, that's insane," Carla said angrily. "Taking a break will lead to a decrease in record sales, less money in your bank account, and a loss of interest in your fan-base. It's career suicide! You have contracts with Lioness Records, they won't let you do this…!"

"Max and I will work something out. I'll get a lawyer if I have to," Ana said, crossing her arms.

"Not if I talk to Max first," Carla countered angrily. "I am your manager, it's my job to negotiate with him!"

"Then I'll tell him I want new representation."

"Oh please," Carla laughed. "Why would you want new representation? I'm your mother!"

"I'll tell him about Jack Hyde."

That managed to wipe the smile from Carla's face, and her complexion went suddenly pale as she stared at Ana in shock. She clearly wasn't expecting her to bring up that man's name, but Ana was not playing around.

"I'll tell Max and everyone at Lioness Records about him," Ana threatened. "About what you almost made me do with him."

"Anastasia…" Carla began in a low voice.

"You think Max might be concerned?" Ana asked, her voice dripping in sarcasm. "Do you think it would upset him to learn that you forced your seventeen-year-old daughter, only one week away from her eighteenth birthday, to go on a date with a middle-aged music executive for the purpose of sleeping with him and getting a record deal?"

"I apologized to you for that," Carla said, still keeping her voice low. "And I meant it. I didn't know you were still a virgin, and I didn't make you sleep with him..."

"I know, and I forgave you for it. But do you think Max would forgive you? Or the media? The MeToo feminists would probably have a field day learning about what you tried to make me do…"

"Okay!" Carla snapped, closing her eyes. "Okay, you win. I won't say anything to Max. Go and tank your entire goddamn career, see if I care."

"I'm not going to tank my career. I'm going to take control of it," Ana said firmly. "If you can't get on board with that, then maybe I really should go find myself some different representation."

Ana turned around and to go back up the stairs, but Carla spoke up before she could leave: "I've only ever tried to do what was best for you, Anastasia. I may have made some mistakes along the way, but all the work that I've done over the years was to help you become the star that you are today. Can't you see that?"

Ana stopped near the top of the steps before turning and looking back down at her mother. "I do see that. I know there's a lot I owe you for my current success, Mom, but fame has never made me happy. For the years I've been in the spotlight, my life has been completely empty and lonely. If Christian hadn't come along, I would probably still be that same miserable girl, just going through life and never being happy. You never cared about that though. You never cared if I was happy, only that I kept pumping out hit songs and making you money. But I'm finally at a place where I can get away from that miserable life… and if you're not careful, Mom, you're going to be stuck in it like I was."

With that, she turned around and walked up the stairs, leaving Carla standing frozen by the door.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, we get to meet one of Ana's biggest fans.**

 **Be sure to follow my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	28. Coming Out

**A/N: Thank you all for your love and support! Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 28: Coming Out**

It was later in the evening, and Ana and Christian were currently at his apartment, curled up on his couch together while watching TV. Ana had just finished telling Christian the conversation she and Carla had had earlier that day, and while she was talking, Rex had trotted up and sat at Ana's feet, resting his head on her lap. Ana reached down to scratch behind his ears.

"Wow," Christian muttered quietly after she finished talking and a brief silence stretched between them.

"Yeah," she said quietly, petting Rex's soft fur.

"I'm so sorry, baby," Christian said, frowning compassionately. "That sounded like an awful conversation."

"It was pretty intense," Ana grimaced as Rex blinked dolefully up at her. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to face Carla again."

"I can imagine," Christian said, reaching up to run his hand through his hair. "Is it really true she almost made you sleep with a guy just to get a record deal?"

Ana nodded, frowning. "Yeah. I didn't end up sleeping with him, thankfully, but it was an awful experience. I really don't like talking about it."

"I understand. I'm sorry you've had to deal with your mother for so long, Ana - I don't get how she can she do something like that to her own daughter."

Ana sighed. "Sleeping with record executives to get special treatment isn't exactly a new practice in this industry. Carla knew that and tried to work the system in my favor… I'm honestly really thankful I've never had to resort to that."

"So what do you think's going to happen between you and your mom now?" Christian asked. Ana didn't answer for a moment or two as she idly scratched Rex behind the ears, her head still resting against Christian's shoulder. She sighed.

"I honestly don't know," she said, finally lifting her head and looking up at Christian. "My mom has always been a major part of my music career, but after all of this, I don't think I can work with her again. This really sucks."

"I know it does," Christian said comfortingly, tightening his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer. "But I think in the end you're going to be happier for it. I know you've been struggling for some time having your mother as manager, but finding some new representation might just help you move on from all of this."

"It's going to be tough finding someone new, especially on such short notice," Ana said, laying her head back on Christian's shoulder. "I have my tour coming up, and after that a whole new album, so finding a manager I can trust is definitely going to be a problem."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," Christian said confidently, kissing her on her forehead. "You're amazing. Plus, I'm sure you have lots of connections… you are a famous pop star, after all."

Ana smirked up at him. "Really? I had no idea."

Christian chuckled, and Ana leaned up to kiss him on the lips. Christian cupped her cheek in his hand, kissing her back.

Ana pulled away after a moment, her eyes filled with love as she gazed up at Christian. "Do you know how much you mean to me?" she asked. "Honestly, you are the best thing to ever happen to me, Christian. I don't know where I'd be if you hadn't come into my life… I'd probably still not be talking to my dad, and far too scared of rejection to open my heart to anyone. You've made me so happy in such a short amount of time, sometimes I wonder if it's all even real."

Christian smiled down at her. "That makes two of us. I don't know what the hell I did in my life to deserve someone like you, Ana, but I thank God everyday I ended up finding you. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Ana's eyes looked a bit misty as she leaned in for another kiss, and Christian eagerly reciprocated.

"I wanted to talk to you something," Christian said after a minute, pulling away, and Ana blinked up at him. "My family is having dinner next weekend at my parents' place in Burbank. I know you're going to be busy preparing for your tour, but I'd love it if you came."

Ana blushed as she smiled widely. "Sure, I'll come to dinner with you. Am I going to meet your whole family?"

"Yup. It'll be me, my parents, my brother Elliot and my sister Mia," Christian said. "Mia especially is going to freak out when she finds out you're my girlfriend."

"Well, I can't wait to meet her and the rest of your family. I just hope your parents will like me."

"I'm sure they'll adore you," Christian smiled at her. "What's not to love?"

Ana giggled. Christian chuckled before he leaned in and they kissed once again, getting lost in each other as Christian moved over to press Ana into the couch, his intentions clear.

Rex now trotted away into the other room in search of his food dish, tired of being ignored.

* * *

 **~The next day~**

Ana spent the whole morning over at the dance studio practicing her routine for her upcoming concerts. Her onstage performances were going to be big and elaborate spectacles, with setpieces and lights with special effects and backup dancers. Her choreographers were some of the best in the business, and Ana spent hours with them today perfecting her routine - it was a lot of fun, but also very exhausting. After many intense hours of training, Ana was completely wiped out, and was now looking forward to spending the rest of the afternoon relaxing at home.

"So you think you're ready for the tour now?" Kate asked as she navigated the SUV through the streets of Beverly Hills. Ana scoffed.

"Not at all. I have only about three more weeks until my tour starts, and I have to train and practice this routine nonstop until then," she said. "I also have to coordinate with Trey and my producers my travel expenses, where I'm staying between concerts, and how much security I'm going to need throughout. There's about a million things that still need to be done, and I hardly know how we're all going to get it done by next month."

"Yikes," Kate muttered under her breath, and Ana couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yeah, it's a lot. Sometimes it really sucks being this famous."

"Ah yes, how much you must suffer," Kate smirked at Ana through the rearview mirror, and Ana stuck her tongue out at her.

Kate drove through Ana's neighborhood and turned the corner to where her gated driveway started. The sidewalks on either side of the gate were empty except for one lone person: a handsome blonde guy in a striped tank top, cargo shorts, and sunglasses. He watched the SUV pull up before waving excitedly.

"Oh my God," Kate groaned when she saw him.

"What is it?" Ana asked, glancing at the guy. "Do you know him?"

"Yeah," Kate said dejectedly. "That's my brother."

Kate pulled up to the front of the gate and lowered the window so she could talk to the guy. "Ethan, what the hell are you doing here?"

"What do you mean?" the guy asked innocently, walking up to the window and peering inside. "I'm just coming by to visit my favorite sister in the whole wide world. It's not my fault you work as a CPO for the most amazing, legendary pop star of all time."

Ethan moved forward so he was gazing further in to the car, and he glimpsed Ana sitting in the backseat. She smiled and waved at him, and he gasped in excitement, covering his mouth.

"Oh my God, it's really you!" he exclaimed. "Anastasia, I love you so much!"

"Ethan," Kate chastised her brother as Ana giggled. "God, show a little restraint. I told you about my CPO job in confidence."

"Oh come _on_ , Kate. You seriously thought you could tell me you were working for my absolute favorite pop singer ever, and _not_ expect me to come by for a visit?" Ethan insisted. "Can I meet her? Pretty please?"

"No," Kate said firmly.

"It's fine Kate," Ana giggled. "Unlock the car door and let him come inside."

"Are you sure?" Kate asked hesitantly. "My brother can be a bit much."

"Hey!" Ethan said, affronted.

"I'm sure, Kate," Ana said. "Let him come in."

Kate obediently unlocked the car doors, and Ethan eagerly hopped into the backseat next to Ana. "Oh my God, this is amazing!" he squealed excitedly, and Ana laughed as they embraced.

"It's nice to meet you, Ethan."

Kate drove them up the driveway as Ethan chattered on about how he owned all of Anastasia's albums and he'd been listening to her since before she was famous. Ana thanked him graciously, pleased and amused at his enthusiasm.

"Would you like to come inside?" Ana offered him once Kate parked the SUV. "My schedule's free for the rest of the afternoon, so I was just going to stay in."

"Are you serious?" Ethan gasped, placing both hands over his heart. "You want to hang out with me?"

"Of course," Ana smiled. "You're Kate's brother, you'll always be welcome here."

"Oh my God," Ethan said, covering his mouth with his hands again. "This is the best day of my life!"

"Oh calm down, you dork," Kate teased her brother, though she smiled in amusement. "Can we go inside now?"

The three of them got of the car and walked toward the front door, Ethan gazing at everything with a look of wonder and excitement. Ana ushered him inside and led both him and Kate over to the breakfast counter in the kitchen.

"Oh my God, your kitchen is _gorgeous_ , Anastasia," Ethan gushed, sitting down at one of the barstools and gazing around. "So do you have a like a private chef who cooks your meals and everything?"

"Yup," Ana smiled, walking over to the fridge and opening it. "Tom's not coming by until later, though, so we're on our own right now. Did you want something to drink?"

"I'll have a water," Kate said, sitting on the stood next to her brother. "Ethan here will have something decaffeinated."

Ana giggled as Ethan playfully shoved his sister. "I was going to have some iced tea. Would you like some, Ethan?"

"I'd love some."

Ana got their drinks for them, and the three of them sat around the breakfast counter to chat. Ethan's enthusiasm of meeting his idol Anastasia calmed down a bit as he talked a bit about himself and why he was here. Apparently he was planning to move to LA from Bakersfield in the next few months with his boyfriend to find more opportunities in his line of work, which was directing photo shoots and music videos. He had spoken to Kate on the phone a couple nights ago just to catch up, and that's when she finally revealed to him the CPO job she was currently working.

"…So when I found out my sister was working for you, I knew I had to come by for a visit," Ethan said, shooting his sister a wide grin. She rolled her eyes.

"Why do I even bother telling you things?" she asked sardonically, and Ana and Ethan both laughed.

Suddenly the front door opened, and Ana glanced over to see Christian walk in.

"Hey everyone," Christian greeted them, closing the door behind him.

"Hey," Ana grinned, sliding off her stool and walking toward him. "How was your day?"

"It was alright. Pretty quiet," Christian smiled back at her. He pulled her into his arms and pecked her on the lips. "How was yours?"

"Exhausting," Ana grimaced, hugging him tightly around the waist. "My choreographers for the tour are working me to the bone."

"Oh I'm sorry, baby."

"Oh my God, you're Mystery Bae!" Ethan suddenly shouted excitedly, drawing the attention of Christian and Ana.

"Uh what?" Christian asked, frowning at him.

"Christian, this is my brother Ethan," Kate introduced, shooting her brother an annoyed look. "He's visiting for the day, and he also happens to be a big Fanastasia."

"In Anastasia's interview last week, she said she was seeing someone new," Ethan said, getting up from his seat and glancing between Ana and Christian with an eager grin. "You must be him!"

"Yeah, I am," Christian said, exchanging a mildly amused look. "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too," Ethan gushed, walking forward to shake Christian's hand. "I have to say, you are _gorgeous_ … I can totally see you and Anastasia together! I hope that's not weird for me to say. I'm not hitting on you or anything - I've been in a long-term relationship with my boyfriend Jose for over three years now. He's actually moving here to LA with me in the new year…"

Ethan continued to ramble on, causing Christian and Ana to smile in amusement as they listened. Kate rolled her eyes as she got up from her seat and walked over to them.

"Settle down, you weirdo," she chastised Ethan, smacking him on the arm. "At least let Christian settle in before you start talking his ear off."

Christian and Ana both laughed as Ethan finally closed his mouth, and the four of them walked back over to the kitchen to grab more drinks.

~/~

Ana couldn't remember the last time she had had this much fun. Ethan was hilarious, and he, Kate, and Christian ended up hanging out together for several hours, chatting with one another about anything and everything. Ana could definitely see the resemblance between Kate and her brother, despite the fact they kept bickering with each other in the way that siblings often do. Ana couldn't help but enjoy watching the two of them interact.

"…So Ana, is it true your mother is your manager?" Ethan now asked, taking a swig from his beer. The four of them had now moved into the living room, and when Tom came around, he had brought them all a few beers and snacks.

Ana, who was feeling buzzed and happy, deflated slightly at the mention of her mother. "I don't really know anymore," she said morosely, taking a sip from her beer.

"Ana's been going through a rough patch with her mom as manager," Kate informed Ethan. "We're not sure if they're going to be working together for much longer."

"Oh, I'm sorry girl," Ethan said sympathetically, reaching over to grab some pretzels from the bowl next to him. "That really sucks. But hey, if you're in the market for a new manager, my boyfriend Jose is available."

Ana raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? Your boyfriend manages musicians like me?"

"Yeah, didn't I mention it? He used to work on the PR team for The Weeknd a couple years ago, but he quit because he wanted to be in a more managerial position. He's done some jobs here and there for music industry folks, but I know he would absolutely love the opportunity to work for someone like you."

"Jose's a great guy, Ana," Kate assured her. "I've known him for years. He's really smart, but also super nice and level-headed… nothing like Ethan."

"Hey," Ethan said, pretending to be affronted. Ana giggled.

"If you give me his number, Ethan, I'd be happy to give him a call," she said sincerely. "I have a tour coming up soon and I'll be gone for the next few months, but once that's over with I'm going to need proper representation."

"Yeah of course," Ethan said, quickly reaching into his pocket for his wallet. "I have his card right here - give him a call whenever."

He produced Jose's business card, and Ana accepted it, glancing at the small picture of a handsome Latino man with the title _Jose Rodriguez, Public Relations Manager_. "Thanks Ethan. I'll be sure to give him a call tomorrow."

"Thank you so much, Ana," Ethan grinned widely, placing a hand over his heart. "Honestly, I'd be _so_ thrilled if you ended up working with Jose! The three of us could be besties and hang out all the time… oh my God, I'm picturing it now!"

"Jesus Ethan, if you want free tickets to all of her concerts, just come out and say it," Kate rolled her eyes at her brother.

The others laughed, and Ana glanced over at Christian - he grinned and winked at her before taking a sip from his beer. He had assured Ana last night that she would find a new manager soon, and it looked like he was right. She couldn't help but smile as she glancing back down at Jose's business card, eager to talk to him about replacing her mother as manager.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter, Ana will meet Christian's family right before she leaves for her tour.**

 **I'm actually going to be wrapping up this story soon. The next chapter will be the last one, and after that will be the epilogue taking place at the end of Ana's tour. Thank you all so much for going on this wonderful journey with me. I can't wait to see you all for the last chapter :)**

 **Be sure to follow my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	29. The Tour

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 29: The Tour**

The next day, Ana talked with Jose Rodriguez on the phone and later Skyped with him at her computer, and she could honestly say she was sold. Jose was sweet and likable and charismatic, but not in the fake way that Carla and other music managers tended to be. She could tell both Jose and Ethan were good people, and they complemented each other in the best way possible.

She made sure to tell Jose that she wanted to take a break as soon as her tour was over with, and he seemed perfectly fine with that. "You've been putting out albums nonstop for the past five years, Anastasia," he had said to her with a smile. "It's completely understandable you want to take a break. And taking a break from making albums doesn't necessarily mean you have to take a break from music altogether. You can work with other artists behind-the-scenes to write new songs if you want."

Ana definitely liked the sound of that. Since she had written all the songs in her new album, she had developed a taste for writing some more. "I'd seriously love that."

Writing music instead of performing it sounded like a welcome respite, especially considering how exhausted she had become training for her upcoming tour. It was important she master the song and dance routine before her first concert in a couple weeks - it was nothing new for her, but it was still very stressful to have to deal with. She was thankful she had a large team of producers and roadies and crew members coming along with her on her tour to make all of this go as smoothly as possible.

~/~

About a week before Christmas was the Grey family dinner, and Ana was nervous yet excited for it. Christian had already informed his parents about Anastasia, and they were both delighted and shocked to learn that their son had a girlfriend who was a world-famous pop star. Christian asked them not to tell Mia and Elliot about her yet since he and Ana wanted to surprise them, and they agreed.

Christian and Ana now walked up to the front door of the Grey's house, Christian wearing a nice button-down shirt and slacks while Ana was in a modest blue a-line dress. Ana also wore a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses to hide her face in case someone recognized her. Christian rang the doorbell, and Grace answered the door almost immediately, smiling widely.

"Welcome home, sweetheart," she said to Christian fondly, and she moved forward to hug him.

"Hi Mom," Christian smiled, hugging her back.

She then turned to Ana with a hand over her heart, her smile becoming wider. "And, my goodness - you must be Anastasia."

"Yeah, I am," Ana smiled, and the two of them embraced. "It's lovely to meet you, Dr. Grey."

"Oh please, call me Grace," she said, a little breathlessly, clearly a bit starstruck. "Come in, come in. Make yourselves at home…"

She stepped aside so Christian and Ana could walk in, and Ana took her hat and sunglasses off. The Grey's home was spacious and open, but still contained an air of homeyness that made Ana nostalgic for her dad's house back in Seattle. She liked it immediately.

As Grace took their coats and Ana's hat, a man Ana supposed was Christian's father walked in from the kitchen. He smiled widely at them. "Hello," he said to Ana. "You must be Anastasia. I'm Carrick, Christian's father."

"It's nice to meet you," Ana smiled, shaking his hand. "You have a lovely home."

"Thank you."

"Mia and Elliot are both upstairs right now," Grace said, in a slightly more hushed voice. "They still don't know about Anastasia being your girlfriend, Christian. Should I call them down now?"

"Might as well," Christian said, grinning down at Ana. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and she smiled up at him.

"Elliot! Mia!" Grace called up the stairs. "Come downstairs! Christian's here with his new girlfriend!"

There was a patter of footsteps above them as a beautiful dark-haired young woman appeared at the top of the stairs. "Christian has a new girlfriend?" she asked excitedly. She made it halfway down the steps before she caught sight of Anastasia, and she suddenly froze, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Mia, this is -"

" _AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_ "

Christian's introduction was suddenly cut off by Mia's ear-splitting scream, and she grasped the handrail with one hand as she collapsed on the steps in shock. "OH MY GOD!" she screeched, covering her mouth with her other hand, still staring at Ana as if she could hardly believe her eyes.

Everyone laughed as a blonde guy who must have been Elliot came hurrying down the stairs. "Mia, what the hell are you screaming about?"

He then froze when he noticed Anastasia standing there, and his eyes seemed to practically bug out of his head. " _Holy shit!_ " he exclaimed, a shocked laugh escaping his lips. "Chris, your new girlfriend is freaking _Anastasia_?!"

"Yup," Christian said proudly, and he exchanged a smile with Ana.

Mia tried to pull herself back to her feet, and Ana moved forward to help. The two women hugged, with Mia practically crying with excitement over the fact she was meeting one of her favorite pop idols of all time, who also happened to be dating her brother.

"Oh my God, I love you _so_ much!" Mia sobbed, and Ana chuckled. "Christian, why didn't you tell me you were dating Anastasia!?"

"We wanted to surprise you," Ana answered for the both of them. "Christian told me how big of a fan you were of my music, and we thought this would be a fun surprise."

"But how did you guys even _meet?_ " Mia asked, finally pulling away and wiping her eyes. "I mean, I know that Christian was a CPO for someone high-profile, but…" her eyes suddenly widened with realization. "Oh my God, he worked for _you_!"

Everyone else laughed as Ana nodded. "Yup, he was my personal security for awhile. That's how we met."

"God, this is so unreal!" Mia said, shaking her head.

"I think you also happened to notice that I made a cameo in one of her music videos a few months back, " Christian said, and Mia gasped.

"Oh my God, that _was_ you!" she exclaimed. "Holy shit, you were in her Fatal Attraction music video!"

"Alright, come on everyone, let's all move to the dining room for dinner and we can talk a bit more," Grace smiled, ushering everyone toward the other room. Christian and Ana held hands as they went, and Mia immediately went to Ana's other side.

"Christian, she is the best girlfriend you've ever had!" Mia insisted, and the others laughed. "So are the two of you totally in love?"

"Yes we are," Ana said, smiling up at Christian. He smiled lovingly back.

"Aww," Mia cooed, covering her mouth. "This is the best day of my life!"

All of them went into the dining room and sat down, Mia quickly taking the free spot beside Anastasia. Grace went into the kitchen, and a minute later emerged with a casserole dish of chicken carbonara; following her was a young blonde woman in a professional-looking blouse and black pants carrying a tureen of peas. Ana assumed she was one of the staff.

"Just place the peas over there Gretchen," Grace pointed to the center of the table, and Gretchen complied. Just as she set the peas down, she glanced up and noticed Anastasia sitting a few feet away - she suddenly gasped in surprise, causing the tureen of peas to wobble dangerously and almost spill over on the table.

"Whoa, careful!" Ana said, quickly reaching forward to grab the peas before the whole bowl fell over.

"Oh my gosh, thank you Anastasia," Grace said gratefully. "I'm so sorry about that. Gretchen, please try to be more careful when setting the dishes down on the table."

Gretchen looked horribly embarrassed, and with a flaming red face she nodded at Grace. "Um, y-yes ma'am. I'm… I'm so sorry, it won't happen again."

She determinedly avoided Ana's gaze as she walked back into the kitchen for the rest of the food. Mia couldn't help but giggle as Ana exchanged an amused glance with Christian. She and Grace finished serving the food, and once Grace was seated at the head of the table, everyone dug into the meal.

"Well, with Mia's screaming and Gretchen's butterfingers, it seems as if a nice quiet dinner has been thrown out the window already," Carrick noted, taking a sip from his wine glass. Everyone laughed.

"Well, with Anastasia being Christian's new girlfriend, I doubt we're going to have a dull moment here anymore," Elliot pointed out with a grin, and Ana smiled at him.

"I realize my being in Christian's life is going to affect all your lives quite a bit from now on," she said, glancing at everyone. "And once people learn the truth about Christian and I, the media will likely hound you guys for details about us. I hope you know, whatever happens, I'll make sure you guys are protected from celebrity news outlets and the paparazzi."

"Ugh, the paparazzi are the worst," Christian rolled his eyes in exasperation. Mia, however, looked excited at the prospect of media attention.

"Oh my God, do you think I could become famous too?" she asked eagerly, and everyone at the table laughed. "I could totally get a record deal!"

"How? You don't even sing Mia," Christian pointed out.

"So? Shawn Mendes can't sing either and he has a record deal."

Everyone at the table busted out laughing, including Ana - she enjoyed hearing people joke about musicians in her industry, and she liked that Christian's family were comfortable enough around her to do it.

The rest of the dinner passed by in the same manner, with fun laughter, good conversation, and delicious food. Ana couldn't remember the last time she felt so comfortable and happy around another group of people, and for one evening she felt like a normal girl, spending some quality time with her boyfriend's family.

* * *

 **~Two weeks later~**

Christmas came along, but Ana didn't have much time to celebrate the holiday as she continued to train for her upcoming tour. However, she was beyond excited when Ray decided to come down to LA for the day to spend Christmas with her and Christian, and she was even more happy to learn his cancer was still in remission. The three of them just had a small dinner and gift exchange together at her home, and it was one of Ana's favorite Christmases ever.

Carla hadn't been a part of the holiday festivities, however, and Ana didn't really expect her to be. As was becoming habit for her, Carla didn't show her face at all in the weeks leading up to Ana's tour, leaving Trey and Vivian to pick up all of the slack of her managerial duties. Ana was also still talking to Jose about him becoming her manager once she got back from her tour, so she knew she had to speak to her mother at some point soon.

The night before she was set to leave on her tour, Ana decided to forgo the usual partying and drinking and bar-hopping that was so common for other musicians who were going off on tour, and just spent it alone with Christian at his apartment. A large part of her was dreading going away tomorrow, but mostly because she was going to be away from her boyfriend for such a long time. It would be torture to no longer be spending her nights with him anymore.

"Promise you'll come see me when I'm performing in San Francisco in March?" Ana implored him, her arms wrapped around his neck. They were currently standing at the foot of his bed, and Christian leaned forward to press his forehead against hers.

"Of course I will," he said, and he smirked slightly. "Incidentally, Mia is very excited to see you perform at that concert too."

"Well, I knew when she asked me for some free tickets, I had to give them to her on the condition you take one of them," Ana smiled coquettishly back. "I hope you don't mind going to one of my concerts with your little sister."

"It's a burden I'm willing to bear for you," Christian said solemnly, causing Ana to giggle. Without another word she leaned up to kiss him, and he eagerly kissed her back.

"I love you, Ana," Christian whispered against her lips, and she whimpered as he lifted her up in his arms and carried her over to the bed, laying her down. "I'm going to miss you so fucking much."

"I wish I didn't have to leave tomorrow," Ana murmured, closing her eyes as Christian trailed his lips along her jaw before going down her neck. "I wish I could just stay here with you in your apartment."

"In my apartment?" Christian asked with a grin as he continued to trail kisses down her sternum toward her stomach. "It might be a little small and cramped here. Especially compared to your multi-million dollar mansion."

"Given the choice, I'd stay in your apartment every time," Ana said, smiling. "It's where you live, and I want to be wherever you are."

Christian growled low in his throat - her saying that seemed to do something to him, and in a moment he had ripped off her panties and latched his mouth onto her clit, causing her to arch her back and keen with pleasure.

"Oh God, Christian!" Ana cried out at the sensations he was producing. A few moments later, he had pulled away and started stripping out of his own clothes.

"I'm going to give you a night you're never going to forget, baby," he said with a growl, his sensual promise causing Ana's whole body to tingle with anticipation. She smiled up at him.

"I'll hold you to that, baby."

* * *

Bright and early the next morning, Christian drove Ana to the music studio where her large coach bus was waiting to head out and kick off her tour. The sun had barely risen over the horizon, covering the pre-dawn sky with beautiful blues, purples and reds. Ana couldn't help but admire the beauty around her despite her half-awake state… she yawned as she sipped her to-go cup of coffee.

"I wish we didn't have to leave so early," Ana said tiredly as Christian navigated the early morning LA streets. "But I guess we have to if we're going to make it to Sacramento by this afternoon."

"Hopefully you can get some sleep on the tour bus," Christian said. Finally, he turned a street corner and the studio came into view. Parked out front was a massive coach bus with at least half a dozen people milling around it, including Vivian, Trey, and Kate.

There was also a sleek black Lexus parked across the street from the bus, and leaning against the front door was Carla.

Neither Christian nor Ana said anything as he parked the car on the street near her, but after a moment Christian spoke. "Are you going to go talk to her?"

Ana sighed. "I might as well."

"Want me to come with you?"

"No, that's okay," she said. "I'll be back in a minute."

She got out of the car and shut the door behind her, drawing the attention of Carla. She straightened up as Ana approached her.

"Hi," Ana said, stopping in front of her.

"Hi Ana," Carla said. Despite the early morning, Carla looked very prim and proper in a pair of high-heeled leather boots and a turquoise dress cinched at the waist with a belt. "Do you have a minute to talk?"

"Sure. What's up?" Ana asked. She noticed Carla was holding a large yellow envelope in her hand.

"I'll cut right to the chase," Carla said, clearing her throat slightly. "I know I've been gone for the past few weeks, and while initially it was because I knew you didn't want me around, it was also because I was starting the process of taking on a new client."

Ana raised her eyebrows in surprise, unsure of what to say to that. "Oh."

"Incidentally, this means that I'll be terminating my contract with you," Carla went on. "I hope this won't be an inconvenience to you, especially now that you're about to head off on your tour."

"No, not at all," Ana assured her. "I'd actually met someone who I'm considering hiring as my new manager. I was going to let you know about it eventually, so I guess now is as good a time as any."

Carla nodded. "I guess it all works out for the best then."

There was a short silence between the two of them. "So who's your new client?" Ana asked after a moment.

"She's this new up-and-coming indie singer," Carla said, reaching into the envelope and pulling out an 8x10 photo of a pretty brunette girl dressed like a hippie in a wide brim hat and John Lennon glasses. "Her name's Leila Williams. She has a few studio albums out, but she hasn't broken the Top 40 yet. I think I can get her there though."

"Oh yeah, I've heard of her," Ana nodded, gazing at the picture before handing it back to Carla. "She's pretty good."

Carla smiled slightly before taking the picture back. "Yeah, she is. She doesn't have the vocal talent that you do, but I think I can get her a decent-sized fanbase."

Ana blinked, surprised at her mother complimenting her. "Well, I wish you the best."

"Thanks. You too."

There was another short silence where Ana wasn't sure what to say. Was this really them saying goodbye to each other?

Carla reached into the envelope again and pulled out a packet of papers. "Here's the paperwork you need to sign to dissolve my contract with you. Feel free to look it over before signing it, and mail it back to me at your convenience."

"Thanks. I will," Ana nodded, gazing down at the papers before looking back up at her mother. "I'll look it over on the bus."

Carla nodded. "Okay."

There was another brief silence between the two of them, where Carla avoided Ana's gaze, and Ana finally decided to do something she hadn't done in years: she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her mom, hugging her. Carla seemed surprised at this move, but a moment later hugged her back.

"Bye Mom," Ana whispered after a moment. She finally pulled away. "Maybe once I get back, you and I can have dinner together?"

Carla looked shocked at that offer, and was clearly unsure of how to respond to it. Finally, after a moment, she cleared her throat, her voice quavery yet sincere as she spoke. "Um… yeah. Yeah definitely, we should. I'd like that."

Ana gave her a small smile, and Carla smiled tentatively back. Ana doubted her relationship with her mother could ever be fully repaired, but this was a start at least.

With one last wave, Ana turned around and walked over to Christian, who was standing and waiting outside his car with a few cases of Ana's luggage. The two of them walked over to the tour bus as Carla watched; a few moments later, she got back into her car and drove off.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all so much for reading! Next chapter will be the epilogue - hope to see you all there :)**

 **Be sure to follow my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/anastasia-pop-princess/**


	30. Epilogue

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy the epilogue of this story :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 30: Epilogue**

 **~5 months later~**

 **June 2020**

Every tour Ana had ever been on in the past five years had been quite an ordeal, with experiences ranging from terrible to absolutely incredible. It could go from their tour bus breaking down on the interstate to her standing in a stadium with millions of screaming fans chanting her name. From fights breaking out backstage to having her diehard fans crying in happiness as they meet her in person after the show. So many crazy emotions came along with being on tour, but it was always such an amazing experience, Ana almost never wanted it to end.

Even now, months later, Ana was remiss to finally be finishing up her tour in Chicago. She had traveled across America, through Phoenix, Austin, Houston, St. Louis, Philadelphia, New York, and about two dozen other cities, where each venue was more new and fun and exciting than the last. This evening she was going to be performing at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, which had already been sold out with over 18,000 filled seats.

After their flight landed at O'Hare in the early afternoon, Ana and her crew were shuttled to the Hyatt Suites. It was a warm day out today, and Ana was dressed down in a pair of white cutoff shorts, sandals, and a t-shirt, her long brown hair thrown up in a high ponytail. A bunch of fans and media outlets were crowded around the front doors of the hotel, snapping pictures and shouting questions at Anastasia as Kate and a few other security guards escorted her inside.

"You still have a few more hours before the concert," Kate said to her once they were inside and away from all the hubbub. "If you want, you can probably just relax in your hotel room for a bit until then."

"Really? Cause I thought I would get a little training done with the backup dancers before my performance tonight," Ana said. A moment later, her phone chimed with a new Snapchat, and she giggled as she opened it to see a selfie of Ethan and Jose, their heads together with smiles on their faces, animated hearts framing the shot. _Good luck at your last concert, girl! We luv u!_ the text read.

"Aw, that's sweet of them," Kate smiled down at Ana's screen. "They said they'd visit us in LA once we got back next week."

"God, I can't wait to go home," Ana sighed, putting her phone back into her messenger bag. "I haven't seen Christian since March. I miss him so much."

"Yeah, I remember him coming to your concert in San Francisco a couple months ago," Kate said, smirking in amusement. "You practically jumped him as soon as you saw him backstage."

"Well, can you blame me?" Ana grinned coquettishly. "Besides, are you really one to comment on who comes to my concerts when a certain someone stopped by my Portland concert to visit you?"

Kate actually blushed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Ana couldn't help but laugh. "Oh my God, Kate. When are you going to admit that you and Colton might actually kind of like each other?"

"We don't. He was stopping by cause he was in the area shooting a scene for his new movie," Kate insisted. "That's it, nothing more."

"Right," Ana said skeptically. "And how did you know that he was shooting a movie in Portland?"

Kate was silent.

"It's not like I haven't noticed you've been covertly texting someone during those long hours we've been spending on the bus," Ana went on with a grin. "Care to explain that?"

"No," Kate said shortly, her face blushing pink. The two of them finally stopped in front of Ana's hotel room door. "If you're going to keep bugging me about Colton, I'm going to seriously regret teaming up with Vivian to surprise you right before your last concert."

"Surprise me with what?" Ana asked as Kate opened the hotel room door.

Inside was a softly-lit bedroom with a rose petal-covered bed and quiet piano music playing in the background. But all Ana could see was the handsome man standing and smiling at the foot of the bed, dressed in dark slacks and an open-collar shirt.

" _Christian!_ " Ana exclaimed excitedly, her heart practically bursting with happiness at seeing her boyfriend for the first time in months. In a moment, she had run inside the room and practically pounced at Christian, wrapping her legs around his waist and hooking her arms around his neck, kissing him fiercely. Christian kissed her back just as exuberantly, grabbing her ass with his hands and squeezing tightly. Both of them were so wrapped up in each other, neither of them heard Kate placing Ana's suitcase inside before closing the door, muttering a "you're welcome" to Ana before the door shut completely.

"Oh my God… I missed you so much," Ana said breathlessly between kisses. "I'm never leaving you again."

"Good," Christian muttered, nipping at her lower lip. "Cause I'm never letting you leave again."

Ana moaned, and she unwrapped her legs from Christian's waist so she could stand up and quickly take off her shorts. Christian, just as impatient, began to undo his belt.

"I want you. Here, now," Ana insisted, grasping his shirt and pulling him toward her so they could lay back on the rose petal-covered bed, Christian hovering over her. "Please."

"God baby, it's been too long," Christian groaned as Ana grasped his erection. He suddenly raised his eyebrows, as if realizing something. "Your Depo shot is still in effect, right?"

Ana giggled. "Yup, I had an appointment two weeks ago. I wanted to be ready for when I came home to you."

Christian looked relieved, and he smiled widely. "Well thanks for thinking of me, baby."

Without another word, he leaned down and captured her lips with his, kissing her with the same exuberance as they had demonstrated earlier. Ana weaved her fingers in his hair, opening her mouth against his and tasting every inch of his mouth, and Christian reached his hand down to brush his fingers against her wet folds.

"Please, Christian. I need you." Ana moaned against him, and Christian let out a growl.

"This is going to be fast, baby."

He grasped his erection in his hand before guiding himself into her, sheathing himself in her warmth in a matter of seconds. Both of them let out a moan, the satisfaction of finally being joined together after so long almost overwhelming them.

Christian began to fuck her, at first slowly, but soon he got faster and faster. He still had his pants mostly on, so his button and zipper were rubbing up against them, but neither of them cared. They were so desperate to reach that finish line together, their movements were getting more frantic and sloppy by the second.

"Oh God - _Christian!_ " Ana cried out, arching her back. "I'm so close!"

"Come for me baby," Christian growled. "Come on!"

Ana suddenly came loudly, her gorgeous body arching and thrashing underneath him, and Christian came a few moments after, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he thrust into her.

After a minute or two of their labored panting and coming down from their orgasms, Christian finally lifted his head and smiled down at Ana. "Hi."

Ana giggled. "Hi."

Christian slowly pulled out of her, missing her warmth as he rolled over and took her in his arms. Ana nuzzled into the crook of his neck.

"I wish I didn't have to perform later," Ana muttered, sounding close to falling asleep. "I wish I could just lay here in your arms for the rest of the night."

"After your concert tonight, we can go home and lay in each other's arms for however long we want," Christian smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I really missed you," Ana said, lifting her head and gazing up at him.

Christian stared back at her, seeing the sincerity in her eyes. "I missed you too."

Ana smiled at him, her deep love and affection shining through. A moment later, she slipped out of his arms and got out of bed, picking up her shorts and putting them back on. Christian watched with raised eyebrows as she moved over to her messenger bag and took out her phone.

"Um... what are you doing?" he asked with a small frown. She didn't answer as she tapped something on her screen, walking over and sitting back down beside him on the bed.

She finally glanced up from her phone and smiled at him. "Kiss me."

Christian was a bit surprised at her random request. "What?"

Ana scooted in a bit closer, her smile turning seductive. "I said kiss me."

Christian was still a bit confused, but he smiled at her all the same. He leaned forward and pressed a sweet kiss to her lips, conveying all the love he had for her. He lifted one hand to cup her cheek, brushing his thumb against her soft skin, and he was so wrapped up in the taste and feel of her that he didn't even hear the camera click on her phone.

Ana finally pulled away and smiled before looking at her phone screen - she had snapped a picture of them kissing, and it looked good. With the black and white filter, it looked like it had been taken by a professional.

"That looks great," Christian said, surprised by how nice the picture looked. "I can't believe you took that with your eyes closed while kissing me."

"What can I say? We look good together no matter what," Ana smiled, and Christian chuckled. "I'm going to post this to Instagram right now."

Christian blinked, raising his eyebrows. "Are you sure?"

Ana nodded, a smile on her face. "I'm sure."

"Then go for it, baby."

Ana tapped a few buttons on her phone screen, and after a few moments she showed the picture to Christian. It was posted to her Instagram page with the caption ' _My one true love_ '. Christian felt his heart pound with happiness as he stared at it.

"Your one true love, huh?" he asked, smiling up at her. Ana bit her lip, smiling back at him.

"Yes," she said, leaning toward him. She captured his lips again in a sweet kiss, and Christian couldn't help but smile against her.

"You know," Christian muttered between kisses. "You could have waited to post that picture."

"Why would I wait?" Ana whispered against his lips, lifting her hand and running her fingers down his face. "I want the whole world to know how much I love you."

Christian smiled again. "But you may have wanted to wait until I showed you my other surprise."

"What other surprise?" Ana giggled. "You being here to see me is surprise enough."

Christian smiled as he silently reached into his back pocket and produced something that made Ana's smile drop and her eyes widen with absolute shock:

A black velvet ring box.

"Now, I know it seems a bit sudden," Christian said, glancing down at the ring box. "And I know I can't afford the flashiest ring in the world. But I love you so much, Ana, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you…"

"Yes," Ana interrupted him breathlessly, tears in her eyes as she brought her hands up to cover her mouth. She let out a breathless laugh. "Oh my God - yes, I'll marry you Christian!"

Before he could say anything, she pounced on him, kissing him fiercely while wrapping her arms around his neck. Christian held her around the waist as he kissed her back, smiling against her lips.

"You didn't even let me finish," Christian chuckled against her, and Ana giggled tearfully.

"I'm sorry," she said, pulling back and wiping her eyes. "Please continue."

Christian held up the ring box and opened it, revealing a beautiful square diamond ring with two small diamonds on either side of it. "Anastasia Steele, will you marry me?"

Ana couldn't help but let out another sob as she laid eyes on the ring, it was so beautiful. "Yes Christian, I will."

Christian took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her finger. It was a perfect fit.

"I love you," Christian whispered, cupping her face in his hands and brushing away her tears with his thumb.

"I love you too," Ana sniffled, and they leaned in for another kiss.

Ana didn't regret the fact she had announced her and Christian's relationship on social media right before he proposed. Their relationship was officially public now, but she knew she wanted to keep their engagement a secret for as long as possible. With this break she was planning on taking after her tour finished up tonight, she felt she could really spend the time focusing on her relationship with Christian.

She imagined a future with him... a future with a beautiful new house on the oceanfront and a couple children running around with his copper hair and guileless gray eyes. All of this felt like an amazing future, made possible by the love she and Christian shared.

 _My fiance._

For the first time in Ana's life, everything felt absolutely perfect.

THE END

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all so much for reading my story! If you liked it, please leave a review :)**

 **And be sure to check out the other FSOG story I'm working on called Fifty Shades of Pride & Prejudice. **


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